Buller, Walter Lawry, Supplment to the Birds of New Zealand 1905.
“This small brevipinnate rail was discovered by H.H. Travers in 1871 on Mangere Island in the Chathams Group. Travers collected two specimens and since his visit several more have been obtained. Through the work of collectors in order to gain profit, aided by cats introduced by settlers, the Chatham Island rail was exterminated about 25 years after it was discovered.”
“The only information concerning the habits of this rail are the following notes of Hawkins who collected a number of specimens. ‘They nest in holes in the ground, and when the young are hatched they get into fallen hollow trees. They live on insects, principally the sandhoppers which travel into the bush a long way.’”
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes (Ralliformes) |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genera: | Cabalus |
| Species: | modestus |
| Sub Species: |
— Chatham Island rail, Matirakahu
Extinct bird
Upper surface dark brown, throat grey, under surface dark brown barred with yelolwish brown, bill and feet dark brown.
Buller, Walter Lawry, Supplment to the Birds of New Zealand 1905.
Oliver, W.R.B., New Zealand Birds, 1955.
Wednesday, 17 September, 2025; ver2023v1