Nov 20, 2023
A weka, or Māori Hen (Gallirallus australis) inspects stones in Aotearoa
by Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith
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A weka, or Māori Hen (Gallirallus australis) inspects stones in Aotearoa
by Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith
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Barred Rail (Gallirallus torquatus), family Rallidae, order Gruiformes, Subic Bay, Bataan, Philippines
photograph by David Irving
Okinawa rail (Gallirallus okinawae)
Photo by Blain Harasymiw
Red List 2019: Guam Rail second bird to recover from extinction in wild | BirdLife
The Guam Rail Hypotaenidia owstoni is only the second bird in history to come back from being declared Extinct in the Wild – the first being the California Condor Gymnogyps californianus in the late 1980s, whose plight was infamously accelerated by an accidental forest fire caused by the country singer Johnny Cash. In this year’s update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (for which BirdLife is the authority for birds), the Guam Rail follows in the footsteps of this high-profile species.
Once widely distributed across the island of Guam in the western Pacific, this fast-running flightless bird plummeted following the accidental introduction of Brown Tree Snakes Boiga irregularis by a US military cargo ship at the end of World War Two. This invasive predator has since profoundly changed the island’s ecosystem, driving three endemic bird species extinct and threatening several others with the same fate. In 1987, in a last-ditch bid to protect it, the final 21 Guam Rails were taken into captivity. Today, thanks to a 35-year captive breeding programme, a small population is now firmly established on neighbouring Cocos Island, where snakes are absent. However, as Cocos Island is just 38 hectares, the population size is likely to remain extremely small, so the species is still classed as Critically Endangered. For it to return to mainland Guam, the Brown Tree Snake would need to be removed altogether.
#2535 - Gallirallus australis - Weka
AKA Māori hen, bush hen or woodhen
A chicken-sized omnivorous flightless rail formerly found across much of New Zealand. Now drastically limited in distribution, although some of the subspecies are doing better than others. We saw the butt of one disappearing into the undergrowth in the estuary at Greymouth.
Unsurprising, bounties declared on the birds didn't help their survival - they're known to snatch eggs and young birds, so anybody that lost young chickens to them was understandably irate - but it's not clear exactly what other pressures have wiped them out elsewhere.
They've been introduced to offshore islands as part of conservation efforts, but this has backfired somewhat when they start preying on the island wildlife.
Where the weka is still relatively common, they search around houses and camps for food scraps, or anything unfamiliar and transportable - particularly if it's shiny.
In October 2023 a two-person US team competing in a reality show were disqualified after one killed and ate a Weka, despite knowing they're now a protected species.
Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand.
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We are VERY happy to welcome a new visitor to our garden in south west Victoria. It's a Buff Banded Rail and, although apparently quite common around Australia, it's very shy and not often seen.
This one has been with us for nearly three weeks. He comes to the birdbath morning and evening and then disappears into the undergrowth, which is quite thickly planted with Australian native shrubs and ground covers. This video is about 4 minutes taken from a total of 12.5 minutes when he appeared to be very comfortable bathing and preening and just looking around. You can read more at my blog: http://treechange-australiannativegar...
I especially like the synchronised music and bathing :)
Buff-banded Rail and Chicks. As you can see, rail chicks are highly precocious, and can generally feed themselves as they follow the parents about.