The Lord Howe gerygone or Lord Howe gerygone flyeater is an extinct small bird in the family Acanthizidae, brown and greyish in color. Its head was brown apart from a pale grey eye-ring and a grey throat and chin, many parts of the animal varied to the colour of yellow, this being apparent in its bright yellow belly. It made its home in the canopies of the island's forest until the early 20th century. The bird has had a variety of monikers: locally, it was known as the "rain-bird" due to its activity after the rains, or the "pop-goes-the-weasel", due to the similarity of its song to the well-known tune. The bird was endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. There have been no records of the species since 1928, and it is considered to be extinct. Its extinction is almost certainly due to predation by black rats which were accidentally introduced to the island in 1918 following the shipwreck of the SS Makambo there.
Region
Tasman Sea
Typical Environment
Restricted to the forests of Lord Howe Island, it inhabited subtropical rainforest, palm-dominated groves, and forest edges. It foraged mainly in the mid- to upper canopy, but also dropped to shrubs and understory after rains when insects were abundant. The species favored dense foliage for cover and nesting, often along sheltered gullies and stream margins. Habitat use spanned both interior forest and ecotones near clearings.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Lord Howe gerygone flyeater, this tiny passerine was endemic to Lord Howe Island and is now extinct. Locals nicknamed it the “rain-bird” for its heightened activity after showers and “pop-goes-the-weasel” for its song. Its extinction followed the accidental introduction of black rats after the 1918 SS Makambo shipwreck, with the last records in 1928.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically observed in pairs or small family groups, actively gleaning through foliage. Likely monogamous with territories defended around nesting sites. As in other gerygones, it probably built a domed, pendant nest with a side entrance suspended from fine branches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, tinkling series of notes with a jaunty rhythm, likened by residents to the tune “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Calls were high-pitched contact notes used while foraging through dense canopy.
