Laysan rail
| Laysan rail | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 1913 photograph of live specimen by Alfred M. Bailey | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Porzana |
| Species: | † P. palmeri |
| Binomial name | |
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Porzana palmeri (Frohawk, 1892) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Porzanula palmeri |
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Porzanula palmeri
The Laysan rail or Laysan crake (Porzana palmeri) was a flightless bird endemic to the Northwest Hawaiian Island of Laysan. This small island was and still is an important seabird colony, and sustained a number of endemic species, including the rail. It became extinct due to habitat loss by domestic rabbits, and ultimately World War II. Its scientific name honours Henry Palmer, who collected in the Hawaiian Islands for Walter Rothschild.
It was a small bird (15-centimetre (5.9 in) from beaktip to "tail" tip, fully stretched out), a flightless member of the rail family. Tail and wings had been reduced in the course of its evolution to lengths of merely 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) and 5.4 centimetres (2.1 in), respectively, and it only had 8 primaries as opposed to 10 in volant rails. The bill, measuring 1.8 centimetres (0.71 in), was strong and straight, and the legs were also well-developed; in its overall proportions it was similar to the small rails of the genus Laterallus, such as the black rail.
Its coloration was essentially a lighter, more subdued version of that of the Baillon's crake, a closely related species from which it possibly had evolved. The face, throat, breast and supercilium were dull medium gray, and the back, wings and top of the head were pale brown with strongly contrasting feather shafts except on the wings. Scapular (shoulder) and flank plumage were sandy brown. The characteristic black-and-white barring of the lower belly and undertail coverts often seen in the genera Porzana and Rallus was much reduced. Feet and bill were a yellowish-olive green, and the iris was ruby red. The sexes were alike; downy young were black all over, with conspicuously long dark legs and a yellow bill, and immature birds had the entire underside colored pale brown.
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