Laysan Crake

The Laysan Rail or Laysan Crake was a tiny inhabitant of 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. Its scientific name honours Henry Palmer, who collected in the Hawaiian Islands for Walter Rothschild.

The Laysan Crake is classified as Extinct (EX), there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.

The Laysan Rail or Laysan Crake (Porzana palmeri) was a tiny inhabitant of 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. Its scientific name honours Henry Palmer, who collected in the Hawaiian Islands for Walter Rothschild. More

Laysan Crakes were seldom disturbed by humans and were anything but shy. They even entered buildings in search of food. The introduction of guinea pigs and rabbits on Laysan proved fatal to the birds. These animals almost completely destroyed the species' habitat and the Laysan Crake had disappeared from the island by 1936. Some birds had were relocated to islands in the Midway Atoll. Here they seemed to flourish, until hurricanes and rats from a U.S. More

The Laysan crake is classified as Extinct (EX) on the IUCN Red List 2004 (1). - The Laysan crake went extinct in 1944 following human disturbance and the introduction of non-native species. It was brown on the back with black streaks. The underparts were grey and the undertail was chestnut with black and white bars. The eyes were red, the bill yellow, and the legs greenish (3). More

The Laysan crake was initially threatened by the habitat destruction caused by rabbits and guinea pigs that were introduced by guano diggers. The rabbits ate the entire vegetation cover on Laysan Island, leaving a dusty terrain that prompted the extinction of several endemic species and subspecies, as it reduced the availability of insect prey. The Laysan crake went extinct on Laysan Island in the 1920s. More

The species Laysan Crake is extinct. This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it. More

The Laysan crake, or the Laysan rail, was a small bird found on the Laysan Island in Hawaii. The major factor responsible for the extinction of the Laysan crake was introduction of rabbits to this area, which resulted in loss of habitat for the bird species. Rabbits, with no predators to hunt them, multiplied rapidly and fed on the vegetation which triggered a domino effect on this bird species. Another prominent reason for the extinction of the Laysan crake was colonization of the island by rats. More

Order : Gruiformes
Family : Rallidae
Genus : Porzana
Species : palmeri
Authority : (Frohawk, 1892)