Auckland Rail

The Aucklandralle ( Lewinia muelleri ) is an endemic to two of the Auckland Islands New Zealand wading bird of the family of the Rail birds ( Rallidae ).

Features

The Aucklandralle is a small, almost flightless bird. The species is smaller than the Krick Rail. The back is nut-brown, the breast gray. The pages are black and white stripes, red-brown of the head. The beak is red. About the flying of the bird, there are conflicting reports. While earlier sources assume that he can fly, recent studies have found little evidence for this. If the birds can fly at all, they do so only very rarely.

Occurrence

The species is endemic to the Auckland Islands 460 km south of New Zealand. Today occurrences are known only from the islands of Iceland Adams and Disappointment Iceland. At between these islands and the habitat of their closest relatives, the Australian Rail Krick, lying New Zealand main islands it is not common.

The Aucklandralle is very shy and was considered extinct until its rediscovery long. The total of about 2000 animals comprehensive population on the two islands is considered stable. It is believed that they also occurred on the main islands of the Auckland Islands, but there were exterminated by feral cats and pigs. There is therefore hope to be able to settle there again after the extermination of the entrained animals.

The species is on the IUCN and BirdLife International because of the possibility that rats or other predators could reach the remaining two islands of habitat, as "vulnerable D2" classified.

Way of life

The Aucklandralle has a number of different calls, the most common of which is a crex call which is repeated at intervals of one second, ten times or more.

Little is known of the breeding biology of the Rail. The few nests found consisted of two eggs and may be placed in early November. The eggs are cream colored with red, brown and gray spots.