Guam Rail vs Marquesan Swamphen
Hypotaenidia owstoni compared with Porphyrio paepae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Guam Rail | Marquesan Swamphen |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hypotaenidia owstoni | Porphyrio paepae |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Rallidae | Rallidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Extinct |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 22.4 cm (8.8 in) | — |
| Weight | 230.25 g (8.12 oz) | — |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 3-4 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Guam Rail
Extinct
Marquesan Swamphen
About These Birds
Guam Rail
Guam Rail (Hypotaenidia owstoni), 28 cm. Brown above with barred flanks; blue-grey face; nearly flightless. Extinct in the wild on Guam by 1987 after the introduction of the brown treesnake; reintroduced to Rota Island. Omnivore. Critically Endangered (wild); captive-breeding program ongoing.
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.