Red Rail

Mauritius - Rail † ( Aphanapteryx bonasia )

The Mauritius - Rail ( Aphanapteryx bonasia ) was a small red Rail, which was located only in Mauritius and already before 1700 disappeared by hunting and habitat destruction.

Of this kind there are now only bones and a few more or less good representations, which suggests that the Mauritius - Rail is expected to reach a size of about 50 cm. From one of these representations and from contemporary reports indicate that the bird was colored red or reddish brown and its plumage is more like a coat resembled. The beak was shaped differently from bird to bird, some were clearly bent other almost straight.

It is also narrated that had a particular interest in these birds red objects. You could attract with a piece of red cloth, which they tried to attack. Here, the birds were then quite easily by hand seize and kill, with the cries of captured birds as others of their species were attracted, which then could also be killed. The taste of her flesh was described as very good. So it is not surprising that the Mauritius - Rail was already extinct in 1700.