Alternative names: Gilbert Island Rail; Gilbert Rail; Lord Howe Island Rail; Lord Howe Woodhen
- Gallirallus sylvestris
Identification
- Olive-brown
- Bright chestnut wings
- Long curved pinkish-grey bill
- Dark grey legs
- Red eyes
- The actual flight feathers are banded bright red and dark. They are usually hidden, but can be flashed when excited.
Distribution
Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean, 600km (373 miles) east of the Australian mainland.
In 2008, about 130 birds were known to exist in the wild, with some more in a captive breeding program. In 2024, a slightly better status says about 230 adult individuals.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Tricholimnas vs. Gallirallus
Formerly placed in the monotypic genus Tricholimnas, the Lord Howe Rail (as T. sylvestris) was later found to be synonymous with the name Gilbert Rail (G. conditicius), of which both common and scientific names were dropped for G. sylvestris.
Habitat
Sub-tropical forests, open grassland.
Threatened by human activities and introduced predators, in particular rats, but including the Australian Masked Owl
Behaviour
- Flightless.
- The hidden brightly colored flight feathers can be flashed when excited.
Diet
Diet includes earthworms, crustaceans, fruit, and the eggs of shearwaters and petrels.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- ArKive
- BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Lord Howe Woodhen Hypotaenidia sylvestris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/lord-howe-woodhen-hypotaenidia-sylvestris on 20/12/2024.
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Lord Howe Rail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lord_Howe_Rail
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
