A locally-extinct species of ground-dwelling bird was found on Floreana Island!
Floreana Island, Ecuador–The observations Charles Darwin made during his 1835 visit to the Galápagos Islands give us a snapshot of what the archipelago looked like almost 200 years ago. He recorded the presence of a small, secretive bird on Floreana Island: the Galápagos Rail (Laterallus spilonota). After his visit, it was never seen on the island again—until now.
Just two years ago, our team partnered with the Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos (DPNG), Galapagos Biosecurity Agency (ABG), Fundación Jocotoco, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) to launch the large-scale Floreana Island Restoration Project. By removing invasive species that devastated native wildlife for generations, we’ve created a safe environment for species to recover and once again thrive.
The Galápagos Rail, a land-bird endemic to the archipelago, has been severely impacted by invasive species. It dwells on the ground, where it is extremely vulnerable to predators and relies on dense, lush vegetation to hide in. But, despite its Near-Threatened conservation status, it is a resilient and resourceful little bird.
Galápagos Rails, locally known as Pachays, have been quick to return to restored islands. In 2018, six years after we successfully removed invasive species from nearby Pinzón Island, the Rails were among the first locally-extinct animals to reappear—along with other species such as the Cactus Finch.
It hasn’t been long since the Floreana Island Restoration Project began, but the Rails have already decided it’s time to show themselves on Floreana Island.
During their most recent annual landbird monitoring expedition on the island, the CDF research team and DPNG rangers recorded the bird’s presence at three distinct sites. That’s enough to call them a real population. The birds were present away from human habitation and agriculture, in a grassland shaded by guava trees. Confirmed findings include six acoustic records, two visual sightings, and one photograph. And it isn’t a coincidence that they’re back now—the site has been monitored for the Galápagos Rail consistently since 2015, and this is the first year they’re back.
“The rediscovery of the Galápagos Rail confirms what we’ve seen on islands worldwide—remove the invasive threats, and native species can recover in remarkable ways,” said Island Conservation’s Paula Castaño, our Conservation Impact Program Manager, Reintroduction and Risk Mitigation and resident expert in species reappearances—especially in the Galápagos. “This is an incredible win for Floreana, and fuels our excitement about what other native species might resurface as the island continues its journey toward ecological recovery.”
