Zapata Rail vs Marquesan Swamphen
Cyanolimnas cerverai compared with Porphyrio paepae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Zapata Rail | Marquesan Swamphen |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cyanolimnas cerverai | Porphyrio paepae |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Rallidae | Rallidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Extinct |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 20.5 cm (8.1 in) | — |
| Weight | 175.0 g (6.17 oz) | — |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 3 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Zapata Rail
Extinct
Marquesan Swamphen
About These Birds
Zapata Rail
Zapata Rail (Cyanolimnas cerverai), 29 cm. Slate-grey with brown upperparts, red bill and pink legs; flightless. Endemic to the Zapata Swamp, Cuba. Inhabits dense sawgrass marsh. Omnivore. Critically Endangered; world's rarest rail, threatened by drainage, burning and predators.
Marquesan Swamphen
Marquesan Swamphen (Porphyrio paepae) is an extinct flightless swamphen known only from subfossil bones from the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. Lost following Polynesian settlement and later European contact. Part of the broader pattern of Pacific island rail extinctions linked to human arrival and introduced rats.