Lord Howe Woodhen vs Marquesan Swamphen

Hypotaenidia sylvestris compared with Porphyrio paepae

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Lord Howe Woodhen Marquesan Swamphen
Scientific Name Hypotaenidia sylvestris Porphyrio paepae
Order Gruiformes Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rallidae
Conservation Status Endangered Extinct
Length
Wingspan 27.7 cm (10.9 in)
Weight 533.75 g (18.83 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-4 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Lord Howe Woodhen only

Marquesan Swamphen only

Conservation Status

Endangered

Lord Howe Woodhen

Extinct

Marquesan Swamphen

About These Birds

Lord Howe Woodhen

Lord Howe Woodhen (Hypotaenidia sylvestris), 38 cm. Brown; flightless; endemic to Lord Howe Island (Australia). Inhabits subtropical rainforest. Omnivore: invertebrates, berries and lizards. Near Threatened; recovered from 20 individuals in 1980 to 200+ through eradication of feral pigs.

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.

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