Dieffenbach's rail

Dieffenbach's rail
Conservation status
Extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Genus:	Gallirallus
Species:	G. dieffenbachii
Binomial name
Gallirallus dieffenbachii (Gray, 1843)

Dieffenbach's rail (Gallirallus dieffenbachii) was a species of bird from the Rallidae family. It was endemic to the Chatham Islands and referred to as meriki, or mehoriki, by the indigenous Moriori. The only recorded living specimen of Dieffenbach's rail was captured in 1840 by Ernst Dieffenbach, who is commemorated in the scientific and common name of the species. It became extinct due to hunting and introduced predators, perhaps soon after 1840.

Juvenile

Head

References