This species is known from subfossil bones only, these had been recovered from archeological deposits on the island of Hiva Oa in the southern Marquesas, French Polynesia.

The Hiva Oa Rail was flightless and thus an easy target for the first Polynesian settlers on the islands; it died out soon after the arrival of the first human settlers. [1]

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: Extinction and biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 02.08.2022