New Caledonian rail

The New Caledonian rail (Cabalus lafresnayanus) is a large and drab flightless rail endemic to the island of New Caledonia in the Pacific. It is considered Critically Endangered or possibly extinct.

This article is about the near extinct bird species. For rail transport in New Caledonia, see Nouméa-Païta railway.

New Caledonian rail
Stuffed specimen

Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Cabalus
Species:
C. lafresnayanus
Binomial name
Cabalus lafresnayanus
Synonyms
  • Gallirallus lafresnayanus
  • Tricholimnas lafresnayanus lafresnayanus

Taxonomy

It was once thought to be in the genus Gallirallus, but is now considered to be in the genus Cabalus, along with the confirmed-extinct Chatham rail. The binomial commemorates the French ornithologist Frederic de Lafresnaye.

Description

It is a dull brown above, with grey underparts, and has a yellowish, downward-curving bill. Due to it having not been seen since the 1890s, its call and daily habits are not known.

Distribution and habitat

This bird is supposed to live in evergreen forests and, if still extant, seems to have moved higher up on the island to escape introduced predators.

Ecology

This bird was host to a species of parasite, the phtilopterid louse Rallicola piageti that is not believed to have occurred on any other bird species. Hence, R. piageti may be coextinct.[2]

Status
Drawing from 1873

This cryptic rail is only known from seventeen specimens taken between 1860 and 1890 on New Caledonia. It most likely was driven to extinction from predation by feral cats, dogs, and pigs. Though the bird has not been confirmed since 1890, unconfirmed reports from the 1960s and 1984 say that some still live in the higher montane forests. A survey in 1998 produced no firm evidence from hunters or fieldwork. However, it may still persist in small numbers in isolated areas.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2013). "Gallirallus lafresnayanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. Rózsa, Lajos; Vas, Zoltán (2014-08-22). "Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts?" (PDF). Oryx. 49 (1): 107–110. doi:10.1017/s0030605313000628.


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