Huahine swamphen [SEP] parent taxon
Huahine swamphen
The Huahine swamphen ("Porphyrio mcnabi") was a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It was a small swamphen endemic to Huahine in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. It is known only from subfossil remains found at the Fa'ahia archaeological site on the island. Fa'ahia is an early Polynesian occupation site with radiocarbon dates ranging from 700 CE to 1200 CE. The swamphen is only one of a suite of birds found at the site which became extinct either locally or globally following human occupation of the island
by humans, demonstrating that even small islands could hold a rich variety of bird species. Several excavations were conducted by Yosihiko H. Sinoto of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum.
Birds.
The remains of several species of birds have been found, representing those that were killed for their flesh, bones or feathers by prehistoric Polynesians. Globally extinct species of land birds found at the site include two rails, the Huahine rail and swamphen; two doves, the great ground dove and Huahine cuckoo-dove; two parrots, the