Vitirallus
Vitirallus watlingi, the Fiji rail or Viti Levu rail, was a prehistoric flightless bird from Fiji, and is the only species in the genus Vitirallus. Vitirallus watlingi is thought to have been about the same size as the bar-winged rail (Nesoclopeus poecilopterus) but with a very elongated and slender bill.[1]
| Vitirallus Temporal range: Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | †Vitirallus T. H. Worthy, 2004 |
| Species: | †V. watlingi |
| Binomial name | |
| †Vitirallus watlingi T. H. Worthy, 2004 | |
The genus name refers to Viti Levu, the island of origin in Fiji; rallus is Latin for rail. The species name watlingi is after the ornithologist Dr Dick Watling.[1]
Remains of this species were discovered in September 1998 at Viti Levu, the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It was first described by Trevor H. Worthy in 2004.[1] The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[2]
See also
- Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
References
- Worthy, Trevor H. (2004). "The fossil rails (Aves: Rallidae) of Fiji with descriptions of a new genus species". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 34 (3): 295–314. doi:10.1080/03014223.2004.9517768. S2CID 129705107.
- "Vitirallus watlingi; holotype". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
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