The Saint Helena rail is an extinct species of flightless rail from Saint Helena. It disappeared from the island in the early 16th century.
Region
South Atlantic Ocean
Typical Environment
Endemic to the island of Saint Helena, where it occupied ground habitats across parts of the island. It likely foraged through leaf litter in native woodland and fern-bush, as well as in shrubby slopes and valley bottoms. Proximity to damp areas and seepages would have provided invertebrate-rich feeding sites. Before habitat alteration, it probably used a mosaic of forest floor, open scrub, and grass-dotted clearings.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Saint Helena rail was a small, flightless rail endemic to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. It likely vanished shortly after human arrival in the early 16th century, following the introduction of predators such as rats, cats, and pigs. The species is known primarily from subfossil remains, so many aspects of its appearance and ecology are inferred from related rails. Its extinction is one of the earliest recorded for an island rail after European contact.
Temperament
secretive and terrestrial
Flight Pattern
flightless; runs swiftly through dense cover
Social Behavior
Likely crepuscular to diurnal and largely solitary or in pairs, as in many small island rails. Nests were probably placed on the ground in dense vegetation for concealment. Typical of rails, it may have formed family groups during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls were likely simple squeaks, trills, or grunts typical of small rails, used for contact and territory. Vocalizations probably carried short distances through dense vegetation.
