White-throated Rail

About the White-throated Rail

The white-throated rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri) or Cuvier's rail is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is a fairly large rail, and has a flightless subspecies. The white-throated rail measures 30–33 cm (12–13 in) in length. Males are larger than females. In the nominate subspecies, D. c. cuvieri, males weigh 276 g (9.7 oz) while the female weighs 258 g (9.1 oz). Another subspecies, D. c. aldabranus, is smaller and paler in coloration, weighing 176 g (6.2 oz) in females and 189 g (6.7 oz) in males. This subspecies is flightless. Generally, the white-throated rail is a fairly large rail with a dusky abdomen and thighs with white on its throat and undertail-coverts.

It is resident in Madagascar and breeds in the Seychelles, particularly on Aldabra Island. The nominate subspecies is found in Madagascar. A flightless subspecies (sometimes considered a distinct species), Dryolimnas (cuvieri) aldabranus (Aldabra rail), inhabits Aldabra, while the semi-flightless subspecies D. c. abbotti (Assumption Island rail) from Assumption Island went extinct in the early 20th century due to introduced predators. A fourth extinct flightless... Wikipedia →