oret , ▁who ▁was ▁mar oon ed ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁ 1 7 2 5 ▁to ▁ 1 7 2 6 . ▁T aff oret ▁observed ▁it ▁on ▁the ▁off sh ore ▁is let ▁of ▁Î le ▁G omb ran i . ▁Sub f oss il ▁remains ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁were ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁and ▁were ▁suggested ▁to ▁belong ▁to ▁the ▁bird ▁mentioned ▁by ▁T aff oret . ▁There ▁was ▁much ▁confusion ▁about ▁the ▁bird ▁and ▁its ▁tax onom ic ▁relations ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁ ▁long , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁st out ▁be ak . ▁It ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁white ▁body , ▁partially ▁black ▁wings ▁and ▁tail , ▁and ▁a ▁yellow ▁bill ▁and ▁legs . ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁its ▁behaviour . ▁Its ▁di et ▁included ▁eggs ▁and ▁dead ▁tort o ises , ▁which ▁it ▁processed ▁with ▁its ▁strong ▁bill . ▁Pred ation ▁by ▁r ats ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁probably ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁bird ' s ▁ext inction ▁some ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁It ▁first ▁became ▁ext inct ▁on ▁main land ▁Rod rig ues , ▁then ▁on ▁Î le ▁G omb ran i , ▁its ▁last ▁refuge . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 5 , ▁the ▁French ▁sail or ▁Jul ien ▁T aff oret ▁was ▁mar oon ed ▁on ▁the ▁Mas car ene ▁island ▁of ▁Rod rig ues ▁for