The Saint Helena crake is an extinct bird species from the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, one of two flightless rails which survived there until the early 16th century.
Region
South Atlantic Ocean (Saint Helena Island)
Typical Environment
Endemic to Saint Helena, it inhabited dense ground cover in moist upland and mid-elevation habitats. It likely favored fern-bush thickets, forest margins, and streamside vegetation where it could move under cover. Ground-dwelling and flightless, it would have used natural leaf litter and shrub tangles for shelter. Prior to major habitat loss, it probably occurred across suitable cover from valleys to the island’s central highlands.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Saint Helena crake was a small, flightless rail endemic to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. It likely disappeared soon after human settlement in the early 16th century, primarily due to introduced predators and habitat alteration. It was one of two flightless rails on the island, the other being a larger swamphen-like form. Knowledge of the species comes from subfossil remains and historical accounts.
Temperament
secretive and ground-dwelling
Flight Pattern
flightless; runs swiftly through dense vegetation
Social Behavior
Direct observations are lacking, but by analogy with similar small rails it likely formed territorial pairs during breeding and remained solitary or in family groups otherwise. Nests were probably placed on or near the ground, concealed within dense cover. Clutch size in related species is small to moderate, and both parents typically attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
No recordings or descriptions survive. Based on related rails, it likely produced thin squeaks, clicks, or grating calls used for contact and territorial signaling.
