Dieffenbach's Rail (Extinct)

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Dieffenbach's Rail was a flightless rail endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Known from a few specimens collected in the early 19th century, it was a large, robust rail with a distinctive dark plumage and a strong bill. It quickly succumbed to introduced predators.

Where to spot

Historically endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

How to spot

This bird is extinct and cannot be observed. Information is based on historical specimens and accounts.

When to spot

Extinct. It went extinct shortly after European settlement and the introduction of cats and pigs in the mid-19th century.

Where to spot

Historically endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

How to spot

This bird is extinct and cannot be observed. Information is based on historical specimens and accounts.

When to spot

Extinct. It went extinct shortly after European settlement and the introduction of cats and pigs in the mid-19th century.

Credits: Wikimedia Commons

This rail was named after Ernst Dieffenbach, a German naturalist who collected the first specimens during an expedition to New Zealand in the 1840s. It was one of several flightless rails lost from the Chatham Islands.

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