Wikipedia:Today's featured article/July 3, 2023

The Mauritius sheldgoose (Alopochen mauritiana) is an extinct sheldgoose that was endemic to Mauritius. Accounts by visitors in the 17th century mentioned geese, with few details. In 1893, a wing-bone (depicted) and pelvis were attributed to a new species of comb duck, but later determined to belong to a relative of the Egyptian goose in Alopochen, a genus of sheldgeese. The bird may have descended from Egyptian geese that colonised the Mascarene Islands. This small sheldgoose had wings that were half black and half white. Although smaller than the Egyptian goose, it had more robust legs. Accounts indicate they were very tame, were grazers, lived in groups, and were usually found on the north side of the island except when seeking water to drink in the dry season. They were terrestrial, and avoided water. The species was eaten by travellers, and while abundant in 1681, it was declared extinct in 1698, probably due to overhunting and predation by introduced animals, particularly cats.