The Mangaia crake (Porzana rua) is an extinct species of flightless bird in the rail family, Rallidae.

Mangaia crake
Temporal range: Late Holocene
Extinct (1000) [1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Porzana
Species:
P. rua
Binomial name
Porzana rua

History edit

The crake was described in 1986 from subfossil bones of late Holocene age found in caves on the island of Mangaia, in the southern Cook Islands of East Polynesia. The cause of its extinction is ascribed to a combination of predation and habitat alteration following human settlement of the island and the introduction of exotic mammals.[1]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Steadman, D. W. (1986). "Two new species of rails (Aves: Rallidae) from Mangaia, Southern Cook Islands". Pacific Science. 40 (1): 27–43.