Birds
Gough Moorhen
Gallinula comeri · also called Gough Island moorhen
Having lost the ability to fly across generations spent free of ground predators, a Gough moorhen now faces an unexpected new threat from introduced house mice that have evolved into unusually aggressive predators on its single island home.
Overview
The Gough moorhen, Gallinula comeri, is a Vulnerable bird endemic to grassland and coastal habitat found only on Gough Island in the South Atlantic. Its evolutionary loss of flight, its complete dependence on a single remote island, and its vulnerability to introduced predators make it one of the more precariously positioned flightless birds found anywhere in the world.
Flightless because it never needed to fly
For countless generations without a single ground predator to escape, the Gough moorhen gradually lost the ability to fly, an evolutionary bargain that only became risky once house mice arrived on the island and began targeting eggs and chicks.
Status
Vulnerable, with a population confined entirely to Gough Island and threatened by predation from introduced house mice.
Gough Moorhen: common questions
Why can't the Gough moorhen fly?
This species has lost the ability to fly, an adaptation that evolved over time in the long absence of ground predators on its remote island home, a common pattern among isolated island birds.
Where is the Gough moorhen found?
This species is found only on Gough Island in the South Atlantic, found nowhere else in the world, making its entire population dependent on the health of a single island.
What threatens the Gough moorhen today?
This species faces predation from introduced house mice on Gough Island, a threat that emerged only after the mice evolved larger body size and more aggressive predatory behaviour toward native birds.
Is the Gough moorhen closely related to other flightless island rails?
Yes, this species shares a broadly similar evolutionary story with other flightless island rails such as the Inaccessible Island rail, both having lost flight in the absence of ground predators.