Pleistorallus facts for kids

Pleistorallus flemingi, also known as Fleming's rail, was a large, strong bird that lived in New Zealand a very long time ago. It is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists on Earth. This bird was about the same size as the takahē, a large rail still found in New Zealand today. Fleming's rail lived during the Middle Pleistocene period, which was about one million years ago.

Discovering Fleming's Rail

How We Know About It

Scientists learned about Fleming's rail from fossils. A scientist named Trevor Worthy officially described the bird in 1997. He studied fossil bones found near Marton in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. These bones included a right lower leg bone (called a tibiotarsus) and part of a left thigh bone (called a femur). These important fossils were found in deposits along the coast.

The Story Behind the Name

The scientific name Pleistorallus flemingi tells us a bit about the bird. The first part, Pleistorallus, refers to the Pleistocene age when the bird lived. The second part, flemingi, honors a famous New Zealand scientist named Charles Fleming (1916–1987). Charles Fleming made many important contributions to studying New Zealand's birds and fossils.