Gallirallus sp. ‘Ha’afeva’

Haafeva Rail (Gallirallus sp.)

Ha’afeva is a small, more or less flat coral island within the Ha’apai group in the middle of the Tongan archipelago. 

Archaeological excavations on this island found, among other things, subfossil bones of an apparently flightless species of rail, which was exterminated by Polynesians a short time after the island was first settled. 

The Haafeva Rail has not yet been scientifically described. [1][2]

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References:

[1] Jeremy J. Kirchman; David W. Steadman: Rails (Aves: Rallidae: Gallirallus) from prehistoric sites in the Kingdom of Tonga, including a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118(2): 465-477. 2005 
[2] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 02.05.2021