NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Makira Moorhen
Gallinula silvestris (Mayr, 1933)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Makira woodhen (Gallinula silvestris), also known as the Makira moorhen, San Cristobal moorhen or kia, is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is critically endangered and sometimes considered extinct from habitat loss and predation by feral cats. The last recorded sighting was in 1953. Surveys in 2015–16 failed to find the species; though there were a number of reports of birds matching the description of the species from within the previous 10 years, the scientists concluded that the woodhen was likely extinct.
Wikipedia contributors, Makira woodhen; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:07:06.797787+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Gallinula silvestris (Mayr, 1933)
- Name authority
- (Mayr, 1933)
- Common name
- Makira Moorhen
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Gallinula
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderGruiformes
- familyRallidae
- genusGallinula Brisson, 1760
- speciesGallinula silvestris (Mayr, 1933)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Gallinula. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tristan GallinuleGallinula nesiotis P. L. Sclater, 1861 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Samoan MoorhenGallinula pacifica (Hartlaub & Finsch, 1871) | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa Gould, 1846 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Edithornis silvestris Mayr, 1933 Mayr, 1933 | synonym |
| Pareudiastes silvestris (Mayr, 1933) (Mayr, 1933) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=560147 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3F6W4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.