Zapata Rail
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| Zapata Rail | ||||||||||||||
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| Cyanolimnas cerverai Barbour & Peters, 1927 |
The Zapata Rail, Cyanolimnas cerverai, is a medium-sized, approximately 29 cm long, dark colored rail. It is the only member of monotypic genus Cyanolimnas. Both sexes are similar with dark brown plumage, yellow and red-based bill, short wings, red eye, white undertail coverts, orange legs and greyish-blue below.
The Zapata Rail is confined and endemic to swamp and wetlands of Zapata in southern Cuba. The call is a loud "kwowk". It nests in tussock grass, about 60cm above water level.
The Zapata Rail was discovered by Spanish zoologist Fermín Zanón Cervera in March 1927 around Santo Tomás in Zapata Swamp.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, limited range and predation by introduced species, the Zapata Rail is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Cyanolimnas cerverai. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 5 February 2007. Database entry includes justification for why this species is endangered
