E is for Eiao Monarch

Eiao Monarch
Pomarea fluxa

Where it lived: the lowland dry forests of Eiao, an uninhabited island in French Polynesia

Last seen in: 1977

Declared extinct by IUCN in: 2006

Extinction causes:

  • introduced predators, including feral cats, Polynesian rats, and possibly black rats

  • introduction of the chestnut-breasted munia to the island, which may have spread avian disease

  • habitat loss due to grazing by feral sheep, which were introduced to the island in the 19th century

“Impoverishment of the native avifauna in the Pacific Islands by human actions began long ago, and it has continued until the present, with the extinction of several endemic forms and a drastic restriction in their range.”