Guam Rail (Hypotaenidia owstoni)

Family
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, Coots)

Size
28 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Rothschild, 1895)

Habitat
Forests, savanna, scrub, secondary growth, fern thickets and agricultural areas, but not freshwater wetlands.

Range (Guide)

Guam (E) (B) (NB).

Introduced to Northern Mariana Islands (B).

Guam (extinct in wild). Recently introduced to nearby Rota I.

Status EW
Extinct in the wild since 1987 due to predation and rapid decline by the introduced brown snake. A captive population survives in a snake-proof enclosure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Flightless.

Food
Slugs, snails, insects, geckos, vegetable material, seeds and flowers from low grasses and shrubs.

Voice
A loud, screeching 'kee-yu'. Also a short series of 'kip' notes.

Nest
In dense grass, on the ground.

Eggs (Guide)
1 - 4, usually 3 - 4.

Subspecies
Sometimes placed in Hypotaenidia or Rallus. Forms superspecies with Buff-banded Rail (Hypotaenidia philippensis), and perhaps with Roviana Rail (Hypotaenidia rovianae). Probably also with extinct Wake Rail (Hypotaenidia wakensis), Tahiti Rail (Hypotaenidia pacifica), Dieffenbach's Rail (Hypotaenidia dieffenbachii)and Chatham Rail (Cabalus modestus).

No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Guam Rail (Hypotaenidia owstoni) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Guam Rail see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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