Messelastur

{{Short description|Extinct genus of birds}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Geological range|Middle Eocene}}

| image = Messelastur gratulator (cropped).jpg

| image_upright = 1.15

| image_caption = Skull of Messelastur gratulator

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Messelastur

| authority = Peters, 1994

| type_species = {{extinct}}Messelastur gratulator

| type_species_authority = (Peters, 1994)

}}

Messelastur is a genus of messelasturid bird. It is known from the Messel pit of Germany, which dates to the Eocene.Peters, D.S. (1994) Messelastur gratulator n. gen. n. spec., ein Greifvogel as der Grube Messel (Aves: Accipitridae). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 170:3-9G. Mayr. 2011. Well-preserved new skeleton of the Middle Eocene Messelastur substantiates sister group relationship between Messelasturidae and Halcyornithidae (Aves, ?Pan-Psittaciformes). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 9(1):159-171