| Great Oʻahu Crake | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Porzana |
| Species: | P. ralphorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Porzana ralphorum (Olson, 1973) |
|
| Island of Oʻahu. | |
The Great Oʻahu Crake or Great Oʻahu Rail (Porzana ralphorum) is an extinct bird species endemic to the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi. It was one of two flightless rails that had survived on the island until the arrival of people in 200 C.E.
It was the larger of two species of rail found on the island of Oʻahu. 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 Oʻahu Crake was probably a brown, grey, and black bird like its recently extinct relatives the Hawaiian and Laysan Rails.
It probably feed on the fruits, leaves, and flowers of trees that fell onto the ground.
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 have been attacked by Polynesian Rats that were brought by the natives by accident.