Western Lewin's rail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western Lewin's rail |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Lewinia |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
L. p. clelandi
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| Trinomial name | |
| Lewinia pectoralis clelandi (Mathews, 1911)
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| Synonyms | |
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The western Lewin's rail (Lewinia pectoralis clelandi) was a type of bird that is now extinct. It was also known as Cleland's rail. This bird lived only in Western Australia. We don't know much about it because only four examples (called specimens) exist today. One is in the Australian Museum and three are in the British Museum. The bird was named after an Australian bird expert, John Burton Cleland.
What It Looked Like
The western Lewin's rail had a reddish-brown head and neck with black stripes. Its cheeks, throat, and chest were grey. The rest of its upper body was streaked with black and brown.
Its wings were dark brown with thin white stripes. The bird's belly, sides, and the feathers under its tail were black with white or light brown stripes. It had a long, thin, pink beak with a darker tip. Its eyes were brown to red, and its legs and feet were pinkish-grey. This rail was about 21–28 centimetres (8.3–11.0 in) long. Its beak was about 42 mm (1.7 in) long.
Where It Lived
This rail lived in a small area in the far south-west of Western Australia. It was found from Margaret River to Albany. It also lived inland as far as Bridgetown.
Its main home was in thick plants around wetlands. These wetlands could be salty, slightly salty, or fresh water. Sometimes, it was also seen in grasslands or dense coastal bushes.
Why It Disappeared
The western Lewin's rail was always a rare bird. Sadly, it became extinct because its wetland homes were destroyed. People drained the wetlands or cleared them by burning for farms and towns. There have been no sightings of this bird since 1932.
