Laysan rail | |
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1913 photograph of live specimen by Alfred M. Bailey | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Gruiformes |
Family: | Rallidae |
Genus: | Zapornia |
Species: | †Z. palmeri
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Binomial name | |
†Zapornia palmeri (Frohawk, 1892)
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Map of Hawaii showing Laysan in the lower left inset box | |
Synonyms | |
Porzana palmeri |
The Laysan rail or Laysan crake (Zapornia palmeri) was a flightless bird endemic to the Northwest Hawaiian Island of Laysan. This small island was and still is an important seabird colony, and sustained a number of endemic species, including the rail. It became extinct due to habitat loss by domestic rabbits, and ultimately World War II.