Tristan Moorhen

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Tristan Moorhen
Conservation status
Extinct  (late-19th century) (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Gallinula Species: G. nesiotis
Binomial name
Gallinula nesiotis Sclater, 1861

The Tristan Moorhen (Gallinula nesiotis) is an extinct flightless rail from the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. It was physically similar to the Gough Island Moorhen of Gough Island, located 395 miles to the southeast.

The once abundant Tristan Moorhen had become rare by 1873, and by the end of 19th century it was extinct as a result of hunting, predation by introduced species (rats, cats and pigs) and habitat destruction by fire. A handful of taxidermical specimens of the Tristan Moorhen have been preserved, including one at Harvard University.

In 1956 the closely-related Gough Moorhen G. comeri was introduced to Tristan da Cunha.