Lord Howe Island Rail

The Lord Howe Island Rail, Gallirallus sylvestris, also known as the Lord Howe Rail or the Lord Howe Woodhen, is a flightless bird of the rail family (Rallidae). It is endemic to Lord Howe Island off the Australian coast. It is a small olive brown bird, with a short tail and a downcurved bill. The Lord Howe Island Rail lives in sub-tropical forests, feeding on worms, crustaceans, fruit, and taking the eggs of shearwaters and petrels.

Decline and Recovery

When explorers first discovered Lord Howe island in 1788, the woodhen was a common bird. In the time since its discovery (the island was settled in 1834) the woodhen declined in numbers until 1969, when surveys showed that the bird was down to 20-25 birds, confined to the slopes of Mount Gower. A comprehensive study was done to determine the cause of the decline, which was eventually tied in to the introduction of feral pigs. The ellimination of the pigs, plus a programme of ex-situ conservation (captive breeding), allowed the Lord Howe Rail to recover its numbers, and there are now at least 200 birds.

The analysis of the threats to the Lord Howe Rail, and the solution, is considered a model for conservation biology. There were a number of potential causes on the island, from introduced rats to Tasmanian Masked Owls . However, only the elimination of the pigs would have saved the species from extinction, and identifying the cause, and solution, in a timely manner was crucial to the success of the programme.