What it is
The red rail (Aphanapteryx bonasia) was a flightless rail about the size of a chicken, with reddish brown, hair like feathers and a long, curved bill. It lived only on Mauritius. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as Extinct.
Range
Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.
What happened
Visitors wrote that the birds were attracted to red objects and could be caught easily. Sailors and settlers ate them, and the rats, cats and pigs they brought took the rest.
When / status
Last mentioned in 1693, extinct around 1700.
Human role
Hunting by people and introduced animals drove it to extinction.