Genus Gallirallus (Noun)
Meaning
Rails of New Zealand.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The genus Gallirallus includes several species of rails that are endemic to New Zealand, such as the weka and the weka's closest relative, the buffbanded rail.
- The genus Gallirallus is a group of rails that are united by their large size and powerful legs, and is comprised of about 15 different species found in Australia, Asia, and New Zealand.
- There are three species of rails in the genus Gallirallus that are native to New Zealand, all of which are currently found on the mainland and/or on outlying islands.
- Although several species in the genus Gallirallus have been introduced to New Zealand, such as the buffbanded rail, only a few have established a wild population in the country.
- Researchers believe that the New Zealand species within the genus Gallirallus may have evolved from a single ancestral population of rails, which arrived in the country via island hopping from Australia.