Tristan Moorhen

Tristan Moorhen ( Gallinula nesiotis )

The Tristan Moorhen ( Gallinula nesiotis ), also known as Tristan Moorhen, is an extinct Rallenart that was endemic to the island of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.

Description

The Tristan Moorhen saw the Gough Moorhen ( Gallinula comeri ) are very similar. By 1985, the Gough Moorhen was still regarded as a subspecies of Tristan Moorhen. Today, however, assumes that the morphological similarities are due to convergent evolution. The Tristan Moorhen reached a length of 25 centimeters. She had very small wings and was unable to fly. Head, neck, wings, tail and underside were black; the back and wing-coverts were dunkelolivbraun. The under tail-coverts and outer webs of primaries were white. The beak was red with a yellow tip, legs and feet were yellow.

Habitat and behavior

The Tristan Moorhen inhabited the marshes and waters of Tristan da Cunha at altitudes up to 610 m. She lived consisting of Phylica nitida and Sparina arundinacea in dense vegetation. She was omnivorous and apparently not disdain carrion.

Extinction

Even before Philip Sclater Lutley the type described scientifically in 1861, it was in 1811, mentioned by Jonathan Lambert, the self-proclaimed " King of Tristan ". He wrote of " little black cocks that were very bold and delicate and were chased by hundreds of dogs ". The specimens described by Sclater four came on 25 May 1861 Cape Town to London. Three of them were alive, and were shown at the London Zoo. 1873 Tristan Moorhen was so rare that members of the British research vessel HMS Challenger they barely were able to show yet. Probably the majority of the population had been wiped out by overhunting and by predation by dogs and wild boars. The few surviving Rails fell late 19th century to the rats for victims who arrived in 1882 by the stranding of the schooner Henry B. Paul on the island.