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Post by sebbe67 on May 16, 2005 17:11:33 GMT
Wake Island Rail Gallirallus wakensis was endemic to scrub on Wake Island in the central Pacific Ocean, United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA). It was not uncommon before the Second World War, but was presumably eaten to extinction by the starving Japanese garrison between 1942 and 1945
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Post by another specialist on Jun 8, 2005 10:36:56 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Jun 8, 2005 10:38:12 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 7, 2005 6:58:03 GMT
 gap in nature |
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Post by Carlos on Jun 14, 2006 17:28:19 GMT
In Fuller (2002) Extinct Birds (Foreword - HBW7) Wake Rail Gallirallus wakensisHypotaenidia wakensis Rothschild, 1903
Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 13: 78.The Wake Rail has acquired the grim celebrity of having been eaten out of existence by hungry Japanese soldiers during World War II. Unable to fly, these rails could scuttle about their island home quickly, but despite their agility any eforts to escape would have been no match for the concerted efforts of a few peckish men. Before World War II the rails were plentiful but by the time the Japaneses garrison left Wake Island in 1945 there were none left. Remote Wake Island is situated far out in the Pacific, hundreds of kilometres from the Hawaiian group. Despite its extreme isolation, rails something like today's Buff-banded Rail ( Gallirallus philippensis) managed to colonize it at some period in the distant past, and from this ancestral stock the form developed that has become known as the Wake Rail. Over generations the size became smaller, the plumage lost its brightness and the wings became rudimentary. As Wake is small, low and scrub-covered, the rails probably had to make use of any food source that came their way; molluscs, insects and other invertebrates are likely to have provided the basic diet. Other than the fact that breeding was observed to take place in July and August, and that individuals made the low chattering and clucking that is typical for a rail, nothing of substance is known of this species. |
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Post by Melanie on Jun 17, 2006 1:33:08 GMT
Wake Island Rail From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ?Wake Island Rail Conservation status: Extinct (1945) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Gallirallus Species: G. wakensis Binomial name Gallirallus wakensis (Rothschild, 1903) Synonyms Rallus wakensis (1903) Hypotaenidia wakensis (1903) The Wake Island Rail (Gallirallus wakensis) was a flightless rail and the only native landbird on the Pacific island of Wake. Description The adult birds had a length of 22 cm. The wing spread was between 8.5 and 10 cm. The length of the tail was 4.5 cm. The culmen was between 2.5 and 2.9 cm and the length of the tarsus was 3.3 to 3.7 cm. It was closely related to the Buff-banded Rail (''Gallirallus philippensis'') from the Philippines which is able to fly. Its appearance was dark greyish brown on the upperparts aswell as on the crown, the lores and the cheeks. It was also characterized by ash brown underparts with striking narrow white bars on the belly, the breast, and the flanks. The upper throat and the chin were whitish. A grey superciliary was drawn from the chin over the top of the eyes to the bill. The bill, the legs, and the feet had a brown hue. Ecology The ecology of this species is poorly known. It was numerous to the time when Lionel Walter Rothschild made the first scientific description. It inhabited pandanus scrubs and due to the fact that there is no fresh water on Wake it could be assumed that is was able to subsist without water. Its was fed on molluscs, insects, and worms. The breeding period was between July and August. When ornithologist Dr. Alexander Wetmore observed them in 1923 he described these birds as very curious. Its call consists of a gentle click or a low chattering sound. Extinction The Wake Island Rail became a victim of World War II. It was disturbed and eaten to extinction after the Japanese forces occupied this island in 1941. Because of its confiding nature it was easy for at least two men to catch and kill them. The last rail was killed in 1945 by starving soldiers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_Island_Rail |
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Post by Melanie on Jun 17, 2006 1:37:00 GMT
Rallus wakensis (Rothschild), the Wake Island rail ; 9 inches long; upper parts dark ashy brown, chin and upper throat whitish, neck gray, under parts ashy brown, barred with white. Wings about 4 inches long and-so soft as *suggest little power of flight . Endemic to Wake [See Mayr, 194.9. Believed to be extinct. www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/duffy/ARB/061-70/066.pdf |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2007 12:44:25 GMT
A second ago I wrote an article for my website, I think it is quite good, so I want to share it here:
Wake Island is a small atoll in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of the three larger islets Peale-, Wake- and Wilkes Island as well as some smaller islets.
Since the end of World War II Wake Island is an US-American military base. Seen through bird's-eye view the viewer immediately sees the giant airbase.
Beside many seabirds the atoll once harbored an endemic rail species. This lived only on the two islands of Wake Island and Wilkes Island, but was apparently absent from Peales Island.
The Wake Island Rail was described by Lionel Walter Rothschild is in the year 1903 as Hypotaenidia wakens..
Later, in the year 1923 the species was mentioned for the second time. From July 27. to August 5., 1923, the 'Tanager Expedition' stayed on Wake Island to study the native plants and animals. Frank Alexander Wetmore, an well known ornithologist, and member of the expedition, wrote some lines about the Wake Island Rail during that time.:
August 2. These birds seem very sedentary. Those that I take on sandy areas where there is only scattered areas of shade, are very worn and pale color above, those from certain sections where there are extensive dead-falls have the wing feathers worn and abraded, apparently from their use in climbing about. This is true though more suitable areas where conditions are less severe may be found near at hand. The wing claw in this species is very large and strong.
During the World War II the atoll was occupied by japanese troups. These were cut off from their supply chain during the war. Now they have to provide themselves with food, and so the well tasting, easy to catch - because completely flightless, Wake Island Rails came just right. But the soldier's appetite was big, to big for the small Rail population.
After the end of the Second World War the Wake Island Rail was dissappeared.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2007 19:51:35 GMT
 together with Gallirallus pacificus from: Rails of the World: A Monograph of the Family Rallidae by S. Dillon Ripley and Fenwick Lansdowne |
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Post by another specialist on Jan 4, 2008 23:33:13 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 25, 2008 9:37:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2009 15:56:44 GMT
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Post by Melanie on May 11, 2009 18:38:12 GMT
Thanks for providing the photograph, Noisi.
I was never aware that photographs of this bird exist.
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Post by another specialist on May 11, 2009 19:03:44 GMT
Thanks for the pdf file and especially the photo.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2009 21:00:43 GMT
Oh, is it visible now ? Fine, but from time to time all my pictures disappear from the proboard forums. It was also new to me that photographs of this species exist.  |
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Post by another specialist on May 11, 2009 21:53:05 GMT
I've uploaded and saved the image in my photobucket account and just mended your post with it Noisi.
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Post by another specialist on Oct 28, 2010 13:21:39 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Dec 10, 2011 13:03:52 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Dec 10, 2011 13:37:09 GMT
Yes please melanie
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Post by another specialist on Dec 10, 2011 13:37:51 GMT
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