Bird · GBIF taxon 5789332
Red Rail
Aphanapteryx bonasiaAlso known as Mauritius Red Rail, Mauritian Red Rail, Poule Rouge
Red rails roamed the forest floor of Mauritius, probing leaf litter and damp soil with their long, downward-curving bills in search of snails and small invertebrates. Early European mariners observed that these flightless birds possessed an intense curiosity toward red cloth, gathering in flocks whenever brightly colored fabric was displayed. Heavy hunting pressure alongside relentless nest predation by introduced pigs, cats, and macaques drove the entire population to extinction by around 1700.
FlightlessIsland Endemic
Licensed referenceafter George Hoefnagel / Public domain · cc0
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Land snails
- Forest insects
- Small geckos
Predators
- Human
- Feral pig
- Domestic cat
ThreatsOverhunting by sailors and predation by introduced pigs, rats, and monkeys
HabitatsTropical dry and moist lowland forests
Life span10–15 years
Classification
- FamilyRallidae
- SpeciesAphanapteryx bonasia
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species; no modern safety precautions apply.
Responsible observation
- Historical Records: Read seventeenth-century Dutch voyage logs for eyewitness behavioral accounts.
- Fossil Viewing: Examine subfossil skeletal remains preserved in natural history museum collections.
Frequent Companion BazzaDaRambler / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Neighbor Joris Joostensz Laerle (attributed) / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative Robert Mintern (1840–1908) / Public domain · cc0
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