Kosrae crake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kosrae crake |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Zapornia
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| Species: |
monasa
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Imagine a small, dark bird that used to live on a faraway island. This was the Kosrae crake (also called Zapornia monasa). It was a type of bird from the Rallidae family, which includes rails and coots. Sadly, this bird is now extinct, meaning there are none left alive.
The Kosrae crake lived on Kosrae Island and maybe Ponape in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are part of the Caroline Islands. The Kosrae crake loved living in wet places like coastal swamps and marshlands. It especially liked areas filled with taro plants.
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Discovering the Kosrae Crake
The Kosrae crake was first found in 1827 by a scientist named Heinrich von Kittlitz. He was exploring the island of Kosrae. Von Kittlitz was the first person to describe what this bird looked like.
What the Kosrae Crake Looked Like
The Kosrae crake was about 18 centimeters (7 inches) long. That's roughly the size of a small pigeon. Its feathers were mostly black with a shiny blue tint. Its wings had brownish feathers, and its tail was brownish-black.
The bird had some unique markings too. Its chin and throat were brown. Under its tail, it had white spots. The inner parts of its wings were brownish with white spots. Its eyes, legs, and feet were reddish, and its beak was black.
Could the Kosrae Crake Fly?
Scientists aren't completely sure if the Kosrae crake could fly. Some studies on its wing bones suggest it might have been flightless. This means it couldn't fly at all.
However, the local name for the bird was nay-tay-mai-not. This name means "the one who lands in the taro plot." This name makes some people think the bird could indeed fly. It's a mystery that scientists are still trying to solve!
Why the Kosrae Crake Disappeared
The Kosrae crake is only known from two bird specimens. These were collected by von Kittlitz in December 1827 from the swamps of Kosrae. These two bird skins are now kept safe in the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.
The Sad Story of Extinction
The story of the Kosrae crake's disappearance is similar to another bird from Kosrae, the Kosrae starling. Even in 1828, von Kittlitz noted that the crake was not very common. Later, in 1880, a German bird expert named Otto Finsch searched for the bird but couldn't find any.
The Whitney South Seas Expedition also looked for the crake in 1931 but had no luck. It seems the birds became extinct sometime in the mid-1800s.
The Role of Rats
The main reason for the Kosrae crake's extinction was likely rats. These rats escaped from missionary and whaling ships that stopped at Kosrae. Once on the island, the rats multiplied quickly. They became a huge problem for the native birds. The Kosrae crake, being a ground-dwelling bird, was an easy target for these new predators.
