Red Rail

Aphanapteryx bonasia (de Sélys-Longchamps, 1848)

Red Rail, Aphanapteryx bonasia, was an extinct rail of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It belonged to the family Rallidae and was recorded from the Mascarenes. The bird was confined to that island and had a close, now vanished relative on Rodrigues. It was a flightless rail with small wings, slender legs and a long, curved bill. Its plumage was reddish and hairlike, and it was larger than a chicken. It has been compared in form and habits with a kiwi and a limpkin. It is thought to have taken invertebrates, and damaged snail shells have been linked to its bill.

Order

Gruiformes

Family

Rallidae — Rails, Crakes & Coots

Breeding range

Indian Ocean: Mauritius (c Mascarenes)