Great Maui Rails or Great Maui Crakes
The Great Maui Rail or Great Maui Crake (Porzana severnsi) is an extinct bird species from Maui, one of two flightless rails that have survived on Maui until people arrived in 150 C.E.
Description
It was the larger of two species of Rail found on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Several specimens of this bird were found in early settlements.
It was 1 foot 3 inches (38 cm) tall. Its beak was 0.75 inches (2 cm) inch long; its neck was 8.5 inches (22 cm) inches long. It was probably brown and grey and black like its recently extinct relatives the Hawaiian Rail and Laysan Rail.
It was flightless due to its small wings that were on average less than 4 inches long.
Diet / Feeding
It probably feed on the fruits, leaves, and flowers of trees that fell onto the ground, preferably that of ‘?hi‘a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), Mamane (Sophora chrysophylla), and Lobelia spp.
Extinction
It cause of extinction is not very well known but it was likely hunted for meat, and its bones and feathers were used in old style art. It may have also have been attacked by Polynesian Rats that were brought by the natives by accident.
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