Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 177-179 & 181-183.

Order GRUIFORMES: Rails, Cranes and Allies Family RALLIDAE Rafinesque: Rails, Gallinules and Coots This classification and nomenclature of rails largely follows Taylor & van Perlo (1998).

Subfamily RALLINAE Rafinesque: Rails, Gallinules and Coots Rallia Rafinesque, 1815: Analyse de la Nature: 70 – Type genus Rallus Linnaeus, 1758.

Genus Gallirallus Lafresnaye Ocydromus Wagler, 1830: Natur. Syst. Amphib. Säug. Vögel.: 98 – Type species Ocydromus australis = Gallirallus australis (Sparrman). Junior homonym of Ocydromus Schellenberg, 1806. Gallirallus Lafresnaye, 1841: Revue Zool. 1841: 243 – Type species (by monotypy) Gallirallus brachypterus Lafresnaye = Gallirallus australis (Sparrman). Brachypteryx Owen, 1848: Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1848 (16): 2, 7 – Type species Rallus australis Sparrman = Gallirallus australis (Sparrman). Junior homonym of Brachypteryx Horsfield, 1821. Hypotaenidia Reichenbach, 1853: Avium Syst. Nat. 2(1): 23 – Type species (by original designation) Rallus pectoralis Gould = Gallirallus philippensis mellori (Mathews), not Rallus pectoralis Temminck. Nesolimnas Andrews, 1896: Novit. Zool. 3: 260, 266 – Type species (by monotypy) Rallus dieffenbachii G.R. Gray = Gallirallus dieffenbachii (G.R. Gray).

Gallirallus australis (Sparrman) Weka Rallus australis Sparrman, 1786: Mus. Carlsonianum 1: no XIV, pl. 14 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Ocydromus insignis Forbes, 1892: Trans. N.Z. Inst. 24: 188 – New Zealand, restricted to Enfield Swamp, Otago (fide Worthy 1998, Journ. Royal Soc. N.Z. 28: 461). Ocydromus minor Hamilton, 1893: Trans. N.Z. Inst. 25: 103, 106 – Castle Rocks, Southland.

New Zealand. Formerly widespread on North and South Islands, and Stewart Island / Rakiura and many inshore islands (Beauchamp et al. 1999). Abundant in Late Pleistocene and Holocene fossil and midden deposits on North and South Islands and Stewart Island / Rakiura, but the bones cannot be determined to subspecies. Subspecies said to differ mainly in plumage (Beauchamp et al. 1999). South Island birds very variable in size and plumage with light to dark morphs exhibiting clinal variation with environment (e.g. rainfall gradients) (Buller 1878b, Marchant & Higgins 1993: 519). Introduced to Chatham and Pitt Islands (G. a. hectori) where still common; Macquarie Island (G. a. scotti) where now extirpated; and many inshore islands (various subspecies) about New Zealand (Marchant & Higgins 1993: 507). The variation observed in existing and former weka populations, led to numerous names for taxa, generally based on plumage differences, and a resultant complex nomenclatural history, e.g. Hutton (1871, 1874, Buller (1878b)). Two taxa based on Holocene fossil bones were synonymised with Gallirallus australis (Sparrman): Gallirallus minor Hamilton, by Holdaway & Worthy (1997: 93) as advocated by Olson (1975), and Ocydromus insignis Forbes, by Worthy (1998a: 461). Ellman (1861) provided the following new names for rails which probably relate to various colour morphs of Gallirallus australis but for which there is insufficient data to refer them to any particular subspecies: Rallus punctatus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7470 – Nomen dubium. Rallus niger Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7470 – Nomen dubium. Rallus rufus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7470 – Nomen dubium. Rallus fuscus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7471 – Nomen dubium. Rallus strepitans Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7471 – Nomen dubium.

Gallirallus australis greyi (Buller) North Island Weka Ocydromus greyi Buller, 1888: History of the Birds of N.Z., 2nd edition 2: 105, pl. 34 – North Island. Gallirallus australis greyi (Buller); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 212.

North Island. Formerly throughout, but now nearly extinct on the mainland where confined mainly to the East Coast area. Decline reviewed by Beauchamp et al. (2000). Successfully introduced to Kapiti, Mokoia (Lake Rotorua), Pakatoa and Kawau Islands. The current Kawau birds derive from an introduction in the 1970s from the Gisborne area (Wilson 1980) and have pure North Island genes (Lambert 1999). Oliver (1955: 362) records that both North Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura weka were transferred to Kapiti Island, so this population may be a mix of more than one subspecies.

Gallirallus australis australis (Sparrman) Western Weka Rallus australis Sparrman, 1786: Mus. Carlsonianum 1: no XIV, pl. 14 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Rallus troglodytes Gmelin, 1789: Syst. Nat., 13th edition 1(2): 713 – New Zealand, restricted to Dusky Sound, Fiordland (fide Peters 1934, Check-list Birds World 2: 178). Gallirallus brachypterus Lafresnaye, 1841: Rev. de Zool., Paris 1841: 243 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Gallirallus fuscus du Bus de Gisignies, 1847: Esquisses Ornith. Livr. 3, pl. 2 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Ocydromus earli G.R. Gray, 1862: Ibis 4: 238 – New Zealand. Ocydromus nigricans Buller, 1869: Trans. N.Z. Inst. 1(22): 111; (2nd edition: 56) – south-west coast of the South Island. Ocydromus fuscus Dubus [sic]; Hutton 1871, Cat. Birds N.Z.: 32. Ocydromus finschi Hutton, 1873: Journ. für Ornith. 21(124): 400. English translation in Hutton 1874, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 6: 111 – south Otago, east of Southern Alps. Ocydromus earli Finsch, 1873: Journ. für Ornith. 21(124): 404 – New Zealand. Junior primary homonym of Ocydromus earli Gray, 1862. Ocydromus assimilis Buller, 1888: Classified List Silver’s Collection N.Z. Birds: 44 – southernmost part of South Island. Ocydromus australis (Sparrman); Buller 1905, Suppl. Birds N.Z. 1: 58. Ocydromus brachypterus (Lafresnaye); Buller 1905, Suppl. Birds N.Z. 1: 61. Gallirallus australis australis (Sparrman); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 212. Gallirallus townsoni Mathews & Iredale, 1914: Ibis 2 (10th ser.): 295, pl. 11 – Westport, Westland. Gallirallus troglodytes (Gmelin); Peters 1934, Check-list Birds World 2: 178.

South Island. Formerly widespread in northern Marlborough, Nelson, and down the West Coast to Fiordland. Now much reduced in range and declining. Introduced to D’Urville and Chetwode Islands, but recently removed from latter. This subspecies has both dark and light morphs in Fiordland. Ocydromus nigricans was synonymised with O. fuscus by Hutton (1871), and O. finschi with O. fuscus by Buller (1878b). Sharpe (1893: 27) found O. brachypterus to be identical to O. fuscus (see Buller 1895: 119). Ocydromus earli Gray was assumed to refer to the North Island population by most workers in the 19th Century, with the exception of Finsch (e.g. 1869, 1875b), but the issue was finally settled by Buller (1891: 39) who reported a similar bird to Gray’s type from Marlborough.

Gallirallus australis hectori (Hutton) Buff Weka Ocydromus hectori Hutton, 1873: Journ. für Ornith. 21(124): 399. English translation in Hutton 1874, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 6: 110 – “near the Te Anau Lake, in Otago”, error for Eglinton Flats, Otago (fide Tennyson & Bartle 2008, Tuhinga 19: 196). Gallirallus hectori (Hutton); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 213. Gallirallus hectori reischeki Iredale, 1913: Austral Avian Rec. 2: 15 – Canterbury. Gallirallus australis hectori (Hutton); Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 40.

South Island. Formerly widespread in eastern low-rainfall areas from Marlborough to Southland. Apparently died out on the mainland, but remains abundant on Chatham Islands (Chatham and Pitt) where introduced in 1905. Attempted reintroductions to Arthur’s Pass (1962), the Mackenzie Basin (1970s), Banks Peninsula (1980s), and Ashburton (1990s) were unsuccessful. Recently introduced to islands in Lake Wanaka (2002) and to a fenced area on Banks Peninsula. Introduced to Kawau Island from Central Otago by Sir George Grey in 1863 (Buller 1878b: 215), but population died out by the 1920s.

Gallirallus australis scotti (Ogilvie-Grant) Stewart Island Weka Ocydromus scotti Ogilvie-Grant, 1905: Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club 15: 78 – Port Pegasus, Stewart Island. Gallirallus australis scotti (Ogilvie-Grant); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 212.

Distinguished by slightly smaller size from G. a. australis with no consistent plumage differences (Marchant & Higgins 1993), so status in need of revision. Formerly on Stewart Island / Rakiura and surrounding islets, but now extinct on Stewart Island / Rakiura (Harper 2004). Introduced to numerous outlying islands including Solander Island (Hautere) and Codfish Island (Whenuahou)—but removed from Codfish (Whenuahou) by 1987. Also introduced successfully to Kapiti Island (c. 1895) and Macquarie Island (1872 and later, but now extirpated).