Inaccessible Island Rail

Atlantis Rail ( Atlantisia rogersi )

The Atlantis Rail ( Atlantisia rogersi ) is a small bird of the family of the Rails ( Rallidae ) and the order of the Gruiformes. It is the smallest surviving flightless bird.

Description

The Atlantis Rail is found only on the island of Inaccessible, which belongs to the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha. Unlike many other islands were introduced no non-resident predators on Inaccessible Iceland to date, which explains the stable population of the Rail on the island. Many other flightless birds, including the even smaller Stephen panties ( Xenicus lyalli ) have disappeared from similar habitats by introduced predators.

The Ralle has an average weight of 40 g and an average length of 14 cm. It has a rust- brown back and a dark gray chest with a short black beak and red eyes (see illustrations ). They populated the entire island, grassland and open Farnbusche but preferred. Their diet includes worms, butterflies, fruits and seeds.

A clutch of two eggs is usually applied from October to January. The chicks are ( Nesocichla eremita ), danger from robbers, such as the Tristan thrush.

Related species

The flightless Ascension Rail ( Mundia elpenor ), which disappeared in 1700, was first mentioned by the travel writer and amateur naturalist Peter Mundy to 1656 and briefly described. The Saint Helena Rail ( Aphanocrex Podarces ) disappeared before 1600 and could never be scientifically recorded by it. The Saint Helena Rail was considered to be closely related species of the Atlantis Rail. Since they have yet developed independently ( the St. Helena Rail is actually not very closely related ) is, in each case emerged from them a separate genus. Both types were mainly cats and rats eradicated by the introduction of predators.