Hodgens's waterhen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hodgens's waterhen |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tribonyx
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| Species: |
hodgenorum
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The Hodgen's waterhen (Tribonyx hodgenorum), also called Hodgen's rail, was a type of bird that lived in New Zealand. Sadly, it is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world. This bird was named after the Hodgen brothers. They owned the Pyramid Valley swamp where the first bones of this bird were found.
This waterhen was a small bird, weighing about 280 grams. That's about the same as a can of soda! Its wings were very small, so it could not fly. It lived in many different places, like open forests and grassy areas near rivers.
Discovering Hodgen's Waterhen
The Hodgen's waterhen was a close relative of other birds like the black-tailed native-hen and the Tasmanian native-hen. Scientists learned about this bird from its subfossil bones. These are bones that have started to turn into fossils.
The first time this bird was described was in 1955 by a scientist named Ron Scarlett. He called it Rallus hodgeni. Later, in 1975, another scientist, Storrs L. Olson, moved it to a different group of birds called Gallinula. In 1986, he changed its name to Tribonyx hodgenorum, which is the name we use today.
Where it Lived
Scientists have found hundreds of bones of the Hodgen's waterhen. Many were found at Pyramid Valley in the South Island of New Zealand. More bones were found at Lake Poukawa in the North Island, and at several other places.
These discoveries show that the bird once lived all over New Zealand. The only place it didn't live was on the Chatham Islands. The youngest bones found are from the 18th century, which means the bird was still around when the Māori people lived there.
Why it Disappeared
The main reasons why the Hodgen's waterhen became extinct are likely because of new animals and people. When humans arrived in New Zealand, they brought new animals with them. One of these was the Polynesian rat, also called the Pacific rat. These rats hunted the birds and ate their eggs.
Also, human settlers hunted these birds. Since the Hodgen's waterhen could not fly, it was an easy target. The combination of new predators and hunting by humans led to its disappearance.
