Saint Helena Swamphen (Zapornia astrictocarpus)  

The Saint Helena Swamphen was described in 1973 based on subfossil remains that had been found on the island of Saint Helena in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.  

The species reached a size of about 17 cm and was completely flightless.  

The Saint Helena Swamphen, like almost all of Saint Helena’s endemic bird species, disappeared at the beginning of the 16th century, shortly after the island was occupied by European settlers which brought with them several foreign animals. [1][2][3]  

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References:  

[1] Storrs L. Olson: Evolution of the Rails of the South Atlantic Islands (Aves: Rallidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 125. 1973 
[2] Storrs L. Olson: Paleornithology of St. Helena Island, south Atlantic Ocean. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 23. 1975 
[3] Storrs L. Olson: A synopsis of the fossil Rallidae. In: S. Dillon Ripley: Rails of the World: A Monograph of the Family Rallidae. David R Godine, Boston: 339-373. 1977  

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edited: 20.03.2018