Rapa Nui Crake (Zapornia sp.)  

This species, hitherto not described, is known only on the basis of a single bone, a tibiotarsus, which, however, can unequivocally be assigned to the genus Zapornia.  

The Rapa Nui Crake was much smaller than the widespread Spotless Crake (Zapornia tabuensis (Gmelin)), in fact it was among the smallest rail species known, very similar to some of the Hawaiian species, and was very possibly flightless.  

*********************  

References:  

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

*********************  

edited: 20.09.2017