The Great O’ahu Crake or Great O’ahu Rail (Porzana ralphorum) is an extinct bird species endemic to the island of O’ahu in Hawai’i. It was one of two flightless rails that had survived on the island until the arrival of people in 200 C.E.
Description
It was the largest of two species of rail found on the island of O’ahu. There were several specimens of this bird found in early settlements.
It was 1.5 feet (0.46 m) tall, had a 1-inch (2.5 cm), and a neck 9 inches (23 cm) long. Its wings were on average less than 3 inches (7.6 cm) long, making it flightless.
The Great O’ahu Crake was probably a brown, grey, and black bird like its recently extinct relatives the Hawaiian and Laysan Rails.
Diet / Feeding
It probably feeds on the fruits, leaves, and flowers of trees that fell onto the ground.
Extinction
The cause of extinction is not very well known, but we can speculate that it was hunted for meat, and its bones and feathers were used in old-style art. It may have also been attacked by Polynesian Rats that were brought by the natives by accident.
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