Vava'u rail
| Vava'u rail | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Hypotaenidia |
| Species: | H. vavauensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hypotaenidia vavauensis (Worthy and Burley, 2020)
| |
The Vava'u rail (Hypotaenidia vavauensis) is an extinct species bird in Rallidae. It was first described in 1793 from an illustration. In 2020 subfossil remains were found on the island of Vuna, in the Vava'u island group of Tonga. [1]
Description
The Vava'u rail was a flightless bird with legs longer and bulkier than most known species in Hypotaenidia.[1] The bill was blood red becoming more of a pale pink towards the lip. The body had patches of gray and white appearing as a slaty blue. It was likely closely related, and visually similar to the 'Eua rail.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Prehistoric avifaunas from the Kingdom of Tonga". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Birds, including extinct species, encountered by the Malaspina Expedition on Vava'u, Tonga, in 1793". Division of Birds, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 6 January 2023.