▁must ▁have ▁either ▁been ▁absent ▁or ▁very ▁rare ▁on ▁main land ▁Rod rig ues . ▁R ats ▁- ▁const itut ing ▁an ▁In vas ive ▁species ▁- ▁could ▁have ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 1 , ▁when ▁a ▁Dutch ▁fleet ▁survey ed ▁Rod rig ues . ▁The ▁is lets ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁last ▁refuge ▁for ▁the ▁bird , ▁until ▁the ▁r ats ▁colon ised ▁them , ▁too . ▁The ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁ext inct ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁French ▁scient ist ▁Alexandre ▁Guy ▁P ing ré ▁visited ▁Rod rig ues ▁during ▁the ▁French ▁ 1 7 6 1 ▁Trans it ▁of ▁Ven us ▁expedition . ▁ ▁The ▁large ▁populations ▁of ▁tort o ises ▁and ▁marine ▁t urt les ▁on ▁Rod rig ues ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁animals , ▁and ▁c ats ▁were ▁introduced ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁r ats , ▁but ▁the ▁c ats ▁attacked ▁the ▁native ▁birds ▁and ▁tort o ises ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁already ▁ext inct ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁by ▁this ▁time . ▁R ats ▁are ▁ade pt ▁at ▁crossing ▁water , ▁and ▁inhab it ▁almost ▁all ▁is lets ▁off ▁Rod rig ues ▁today . ▁At ▁least ▁five ▁species ▁of ▁A pl on is ▁star lings ▁have ▁become ▁ext inct ▁in ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean , ▁and ▁r ats ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁their ▁dem ise . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Works ▁c ited ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Category : B ird s ▁described ▁in ▁