A new species of large flightless rail of the Rallus longirostris

Abstract

Rallus recessus, new species, probably derived from the King Rail R. elegans, is described from a cave deposit exposed in quarrying operations on the island of Bermuda. This species had the reduced elements of the wing and pectoral girdle and more robust hindlimbs typical of flightless rails. It is the only member of the largest: size-class of the genus Rallus known to have colonized an oceanic island and become flightless. It was present on Bermuda during the last (Wisconsinan) glacial period and appears to have become extinct naturally due to changing environmental conditions associated with changes in sea level.