RAIL TRACKS

Multiple Invasions

Several bird lineages have each contributed to New Zealand avifauna by multiple colonisation. Most prominent are the rails (Rallidae), whose diversity illustrates this process of species accumulation. Only genera found in New Zealand are represented here; flying species by winged-bird icon and flightless by walking-bird icon. Right-facing flying-birds indicate breeding populations, left-facing ones indicate vagrants. Each flightless-bird icon indicates a different endemic species in the location indicated, and each different flying-bird colour/pattern represents a different species of;  Porphyrio blue, Gallirallus red, Fulica black, Porzana grey, Gallinula yellow. Several of the flightless species became extinct after human colonisation.