Jamaican wood rail
| Jamaican wood rail | |
|---|---|
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| Species: | A. concolor
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| Subspecies: | A. c. concolor
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| Trinomial name | |
| Aramides concolor concolor P. H. Gosse (1847)
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The Jamaican wood rail, also called the Jamaican uniform rail was a subspecies of the uniform rail found on Jamaica. It became extinct circa 1881.[1]
Appearance
The Jamaican wood rail was a reddish-brown bird some 10 inches in length.[1]
Ecology
Although capable of flight, the Wood Rail was primarily a terrestrial bird, preferring to run to escape predators. It was originally widespread on the island, inhabiting swamps, jungle undergrowth and streambeds, to fairly high altitudes.[2]
Extinction
The Jamaican wood rail was driven to extinction by the introduction of rats, cats and mongooses to Jamaica.[1] The last specimens of the bird were collected in 1881.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Day, David (1989). The Encyclopedia of Vanished Species. Hong Kong: Mclaren Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-947889-30-2.
- ^ Clive Roots (2006). Flightless Birds. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 131. ISBN 0-313-33545-1.
- ^ David Watts; Alan R. H. Baker; Richard Dennis (1990). The West Indies: Patterns of Development, Culture and Environmental Change Since 1492. Cambridge University Press. p. 515. ISBN 0-521-38651-9.