Dark5 | 5 Final Videos of Extinct Animals Right Before They Disappeared @dark5tv | Uploaded 3 years ago | Updated 1 day ago
The Laysan Crake was a 6-inch tall creature with reduced tail and wings that rendered it unable to fly. It used its wings to keep balance when running and jumping, and fed on invertebrates and seabirds’ eggs. The Hawaiian bird almost became extinct early in the 20th century, but a relocation to Midway Atoll slowed the natural process down. Still, the last crake was seen in 1944, around the time a US Navy landing craft drifted ashore...
The Laysan Crake’s coloration resembled that of the Baillon's crake, with a mixture of dark grays and pale browns, a yellow bill, red eyes, and long dark legs. British BBC footage taken in 1936 shows the crake in its Hawaiian habitat.
Also known as the Laysan Rail, the small yet aggressive birds fed on invertebrates and eggs. They were highly active during mornings and afternoons, and they had no known natural predators that actively hunted them down. Also, their distinctive chirping resembled two marbles thrown on a glass roof.
According to biologists, the introduction of rabbits and guinea pigs on Laysan Island that consumed vegetation and reduced the availability of insects would have led to the birds’ extinction. But the relocation to the Midway Atoll in an attempt to save the species showed promising results.
However, the population started to decrease before the outbreak of World War II, and no further attempts were made to preserve the species.
In June of 1944, a US Navy landing craft drifted ashore carrying black rats that ate the remaining birds. Since then, no Laysan Crake has ever been spotted...
The Laysan Crake was a 6-inch tall creature with reduced tail and wings that rendered it unable to fly. It used its wings to keep balance when running and jumping, and fed on invertebrates and seabirds’ eggs. The Hawaiian bird almost became extinct early in the 20th century, but a relocation to Midway Atoll slowed the natural process down. Still, the last crake was seen in 1944, around the time a US Navy landing craft drifted ashore...
The Laysan Crake’s coloration resembled that of the Baillon's crake, with a mixture of dark grays and pale browns, a yellow bill, red eyes, and long dark legs. British BBC footage taken in 1936 shows the crake in its Hawaiian habitat.
Also known as the Laysan Rail, the small yet aggressive birds fed on invertebrates and eggs. They were highly active during mornings and afternoons, and they had no known natural predators that actively hunted them down. Also, their distinctive chirping resembled two marbles thrown on a glass roof.
According to biologists, the introduction of rabbits and guinea pigs on Laysan Island that consumed vegetation and reduced the availability of insects would have led to the birds’ extinction. But the relocation to the Midway Atoll in an attempt to save the species showed promising results.
However, the population started to decrease before the outbreak of World War II, and no further attempts were made to preserve the species.
In June of 1944, a US Navy landing craft drifted ashore carrying black rats that ate the remaining birds. Since then, no Laysan Crake has ever been spotted...
