Birds of the World

Samoan Moorhen Gallinula pacifica Scientific name definitions

Josep del Hoyo, Nigel Collar, and Christopher J. Sharpe
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated July 5, 2016

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Field Identification

Similar to Makira Moorhen (Pareudiastes silvestris) but differing in: smaller size; bill shorter and lighter; gonys lacking longitudinal grooves (there are two in silvestris); frontal shield much smaller, reaching only the middle of the eye; bare area beneath the eye less extensive; bristly loreal feathers longer; bluish tinge of breast less pronounced; dorsum uniform dark brown (1).

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Samoa (Savai’i). No definite records since 1873; possibly extinct (2).

Habitat

Unknown.

Movement

No information available.

Diet and Foraging

Diet apparently consists almost entirety of animal matter (1).

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Unknown.

Breeding

A possible nest reported in 1874 was on the ground, composed of ‘a few twigs and a little grass’, and contained two eggs. No other information (1).

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. Restricted-range species: endemic to the island of Savai'i and present in Samoan Islands EBA. Known from three skins and an egg. Last recorded in 1873 (3). There have been claims by local people that the bird has been extinct since 1907 (4) and it was considered so until 1994 BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pareudiastes pacificus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . Hopes of its survival were raised by two possible sightings in upland forest west of Mt Elietoga in Aug 1984 (5), and another of two birds on Mount Sili Sili in Oct 2003 BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pareudiastes pacificus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . Nevertheless, a 17-day targeted search in Jun–Aug 2005 proved fruitless, as did a two-day visit in Nov of the same year (2); likewise, 2012 surveys failed to find the species (6). All researchers acknowledged the persistence of forest that is yet to be surveyed, but concurred that the Puna'e is likely to be extinct (6, 2). At any rate, any remaining population must be tiny and is now judged to be fewer than 50 individuals within a known range of 1 km² BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pareudiastes pacificus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . Introduced mammals (rats, pigs, cats and dogs), along with hunting for food, are thought to have caused its demise (5) BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pareudiastes pacificus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . Slash-and-burn cultivation threatens remaining upland forest (7) BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pareudiastes pacificus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . A new road had been illegally bulldozed into the cloud forest above A’opo by 2012, giving access to alien weeds and feral cats (6).

Distribution of the Samoan Moorhen - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Samoan Moorhen

Recommended Citation

del Hoyo, J., N. Collar, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Samoan Moorhen (Gallinula pacifica), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.sammoo1.01
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