The extinct Wake Island rail or Wake rail is an extinct flightless rail and the only native land bird on the Pacific atoll of Wake. It was found on the islands of Wake and Wilkes, and Peale, which is separated from the others by a channel of about 100 metres (330 ft). It was hunted to extinction during World War II. The species was formerly placed in the genus Hypotaenidia.
Region
Central Pacific
Typical Environment
This rail was confined to the small coral atoll of Wake, including Wake, Wilkes, and Peale islets. It inhabited dense stands of beach vegetation, low scrub, and grass thickets, using cover to escape danger. Birds frequently foraged along the wrack line for invertebrates washed ashore. Around human camps it scavenged food scraps, especially during wartime scarcity. Its entire range was only a few square kilometers of low-lying coral habitat.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 7 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Wake Island rail was the only native land bird of Wake Atoll and was completely flightless. It became remarkably tame and often foraged around human settlements. The species was hunted for food during World War II, and the introduction of rats likely devastated its nests, leading to extinction by the mid-1940s.
Temperament
secretive and terrestrial
Flight Pattern
flightless; runs swiftly through cover
Social Behavior
Typically observed in pairs or small family groups, maintaining small territories within dense vegetation. Likely monogamous, nesting on the ground in sheltered sites among grasses or shrubs. Clutches were probably small, with both adults attending the brood, as in many island rails.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations were reported as soft clucks, squeaks, and churring calls, often given from cover. Calls served to maintain contact between mates and to signal alarm.
