Systematics
Class Aves Linnaeus, 1758.
Order Gruiformes Bonaparte, 1854.
Family Rallidae Rafinesque, 1815.
Genus Aphanapteryx Frauenfeld, 1868a.
†Mauritian Red Rail (Poule Rouge) Aphanapteryx bonasia (Sélys-Longchamps, 1848).
Genus Erythromachus Milne-Edwards, 1874.
†Rodrigues Rail or Leguat’s Rail Erythromachus leguati Milne-Edwards, 1874.
Genus Hypotaenidia Reichenbach, 1853.
Buff-banded Rail Hypotaenidia philippensis (Linnaeus, 1766).
Genus Dryolimnas Sharpe, 1893.
White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri (Pucheran, 1845)
†Cheke’s Wood Rail Dryolimnas chekei sp. nov.
Holotype: Tarsometatarsus: UMZC 300AA5 (R) (Fig. 30B) collected at the Mare aux Songes, south-east Mauritius, by Théodore Sauzier in 1889–91. A. Newton referred it to Gallinula [chloropus] pyrrhorrhoa in error (see Cowles 1987).
Type locality: Mare aux Songes, Mauritius, Mascarene Islands.
Distribution: Mauritius, Mascarene Islands.
Etymology: Named in honour of my friend and colleague, Anthony Cheke, in recognition of his unparalleled lifelong contribution to Mascarene ecological history
Paratypes: Collected at the Mare aux Songes by Théodore Sauzier in 1889–91. Mis-identified as Gallinula [chloropus] pyrrhorrhoa by A. Newton (see Cowles 1987). Pelvis: UMZC 300AA6; tibiotarsus: UMZC 300AA3 (R); UMZC 300AA4 (L).
Referred fossil material: All collected at the Vallée des Prêtres, Moka Range, central-west Mauritius. Some of the following specimens are bulk-registered, so a few numbers are duplicated. Rostrum: UMZC 593.B; UMZC 593. B; humerus: UMZC 300AA1 (L); UMZC 300AA2 (R) (these may be associated); MNHN Mad7136 (R); MNHN MAD7136 (Rd); femur: MNHN MAD8867 (Lp); MNHN MAD7159 (Rp); tibiotarsus: MNHN MAD8867 (Lp); MNHN MAD7159 (Rp); tarsometatarsus: UMZC 593b (R).
†Réunion Wood Rail Dryolimnas augusti Mourer-Chauviré et al. 1999
Genus Porphyrio Brisson, 1760.
†Réunion Gallinule (Oiseaux Bleu) ‘Porphyrio caerulescens’ (Sélys‑Longchamps, 1848).
African Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio madagascariensis (Latham, 1801)
Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni Thomson, 1842.
Genus Fulica Linnaeus, 1758.
†Mascarene Coot Fulica newtonii Milne-Edwards, 1867b.
Genus Gallinula Brisson, 1760 .
Madagascan Moorhen Gallinula chloropus pyrrhorrhoa A. Newton, 1861b
Géant or Leguat’s Giant Leguatia gigantea Schlegel, 1857
Order Phoenicopteriformes Fürbringer, 1888.
Family Phoenicopteridae Bonaparte, 1831.
Genus Phoenicopterus Linnaeus, 1758.
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus Pallas, 1811
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