 The Rodrigues starling ( Necropsar rodericanus ) is an extinct species of starling that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues . Its closest relatives were the Mauritius starling and the hoopoe starling from nearby islands ; all three appear to be of Southeast Asian origin . The bird was only reported by French sailor Julien Tafforet , who was marooned on the island from 1725 to 1726 . Tafforet observed it on the offshore islet of Île Gombrani . Subfossil remains found on the mainland were described in 1879 , and were suggested to belong to the bird mentioned by Tafforet . There was much confusion about the bird and its taxonomic relations throughout the 20th century . 
