Sharpe's Rail: The “Extinct Bird” That Wasn't a Separate Species
Sharpe's Rail: The “Extinct Bird” That Wasn't a Separate Species
Sharpe's Rail (Gallirallus sharpei) is one of the strangest stories in bird taxonomy. For many years, it was treated as a mysterious and possibly extinct rail known from just one specimen. But later research changed the story completely.
The single specimen is now considered an aberrantly coloured Buff-banded Rail, rather than evidence of a separate extinct species. BirdLife International reported in 2008 that Sharpe's Rail was no longer recognised taxonomically, and later research provided additional evidence supporting that conclusion.
In other words, Sharpe's Rail is a fascinating example of how scientific understanding can change when researchers examine an old museum specimen with new evidence.
Quick Answer
What was Sharpe's Rail?
Sharpe's Rail was the name given to a rail described as Gallirallus sharpei by Johann Büttikofer in 1893.
Was Sharpe's Rail really an extinct species?
Current evidence indicates that it was not a separate species. The unique specimen is considered an aberrantly coloured, melanistic Buff-banded Rail.
How many Sharpe's Rail specimens are known?
Only one known specimen is associated with the name Sharpe's Rail.
What is its current scientific identity?
It is associated with the Buff-banded Rail, currently treated as Hypotaenidia philippensis by the HBW/BirdLife taxonomy.
Sharpe's Rail at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Common name | Sharpe's Rail |
| Historical scientific name | Gallirallus sharpei |
| Described by | Johann Büttikofer |
| Year described | 1893 |
| Family | Rallidae |
| Known specimens | One unique specimen |
| Specimen number | RMNH 87485 |
| Specimen location | Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands |
| Origin | Unknown |
| Historical status | Considered a possibly extinct species |
| Current interpretation | Aberrantly coloured Buff-banded Rail |
| Current Buff-banded Rail name | Hypotaenidia philippensis |
| Major taxonomic change | No longer recognised as a separate species |
The 2014 study by Julian P. Hume and Hein van Grouw specifically examined the unique Sharpe's Rail specimen and its unusual coloration.
What Happened to Sharpe's Rail?
The story begins in the 19th century.
In 1893, Johann Büttikofer described Sharpe's Rail as a new species. The bird was given the scientific name Gallirallus sharpei.
The problem was that scientists had only one specimen.
Even more strangely, the specimen's geographical origin was unknown. It had entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Leiden in the 19th century, making it difficult to determine where the bird had actually lived in the wild.
Because no additional specimens or reliable observations were known, Sharpe's Rail became an enigmatic bird.
For years, it was treated as a possibly extinct species.
The Mystery of the One Specimen
The entire story of Sharpe's Rail depends on a single museum specimen:
RMNH 87485.
That makes the case unusual.
When a species is known from hundreds or thousands of specimens, researchers can compare individuals and identify normal variation within the species.
Sharpe's Rail presented the opposite situation.
There was just one unusual-looking bird.
Researchers therefore had to answer a difficult question:
Was this genuinely a separate species, or was it simply an unusual individual of another species?
That question eventually changed the entire taxonomic story.
Why Did Scientists Think It Was a Separate Species?
The specimen looked sufficiently different from ordinary Buff-banded Rails that it was originally described as a distinct species.
Its plumage was unusually dark, with distinctive patterns that made it appear unusual compared with normally coloured Buff-banded Rails.
Historically, ornithologists had sometimes described unusually coloured birds as separate species because the genetic and developmental causes of plumage variation were not well understood.
Modern research has shown that unusual plumage coloration can occur within a species.
This is particularly important when only one specimen is available.
The 2008 BirdLife International Change
A major turning point came in 2008.
BirdLife International's Globally Threatened Forums included the statement:
“Sharpe's Rail (Gallirallus sharpei): no longer recognised taxonomically.”
The original online reference is now a dead link, which is why the old citation remains problematic on Wikipedia.
The important point is that BirdLife was not simply declaring that Sharpe's Rail had gone extinct.
Instead, its taxonomic status was being rejected as a separate species.
That distinction matters.
Extinct species vs. invalid species
An extinct species is a species that existed as a valid taxonomic entity but no longer has any living individuals.
An invalid taxon is different.
It means the name is no longer accepted as representing a distinct taxonomic entity.
Sharpe's Rail belongs to the second story.
The Evidence Behind the Change
Later research provided a much clearer explanation.
Hume and van Grouw examined the unique Sharpe's Rail specimen in detail in their 2014 paper, “Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds,” published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club.
Their study describes the specimen as showing a form of melanism, an abnormal pattern of dark pigmentation.
More importantly, the authors report that mitochondrial DNA evidence showed that the specimen could be referred to Gallirallus philippensis, the Buff-banded Rail.
Their conclusion was striking:
The unique Sharpe's Rail specimen was not an extinct species, but an unusual colour form of the Buff-banded Rail.
What Is Melanism?
Melanism is an abnormal or unusual condition involving the distribution or deposition of dark melanin pigments.
It can make an animal appear much darker than individuals with typical coloration.
In birds, unusual plumage coloration can sometimes be mistaken for evidence of a different species.
That appears to be what happened in the case of Sharpe's Rail.
The 2014 study classified the Sharpe's Rail specimen as an example of category 3 melanism and compared it with a normally coloured Buff-banded Rail specimen.
So the bird looked unusual enough to receive its own species name, but its unusual appearance did not mean it represented a separate evolutionary lineage.
Sharpe's Rail and the Buff-banded Rail
The bird with which Sharpe's Rail is now associated is the Buff-banded Rail.
Its current scientific name is generally given as:
Hypotaenidia philippensis
The HBW/BirdLife taxonomic checklist has used Hypotaenidia philippensis for the Buff-banded Rail, while some other taxonomic authorities retain Gallirallus philippensis. Avibase's current records show this difference between taxonomic systems.
This is a useful reminder that scientific names can change even when the animal itself has not changed.
Why Is the Scientific Name Sometimes Different?
You may encounter both:
Hypotaenidia philippensis
Gallirallus philippensis
These names reflect different taxonomic treatments.
The IOC World Bird List and HBW/BirdLife-related databases currently recognize Hypotaenidia philippensis for the Buff-banded Rail, while Clements has historically used Gallirallus philippensis.
Therefore, older scientific literature may use Gallirallus philippensis, while newer sources may use Hypotaenidia philippensis.
Why Sharpe's Rail Is Not Simply “An Extinct Bird”
It is tempting to put Sharpe's Rail into a list of extinct birds because older literature sometimes treated it that way.
But that would be misleading today.
The evidence suggests:
1893: Described as a new species
↓
Later: Treated as a mysterious possibly extinct rail
↓
2008: BirdLife International reported that it was no longer recognised taxonomically
↓
2010s: Further research supported its identity as an aberrantly coloured Buff-banded Rail
↓
Today: It is not generally treated as a separate valid species
This is why Sharpe's Rail is better described as a taxonomic mystery than as a genuinely extinct bird.
What Happened to the Original Specimen?
The specimen remains scientifically important.
It is identified as RMNH 87485 and is associated with the Naturalis collection in the Netherlands.
Far from being worthless because the species name was rejected, the specimen became even more interesting.
It helped researchers demonstrate how a single unusual individual can sometimes lead scientists to describe a taxon that later turns out not to represent a separate species.
The specimen therefore became an example of the importance of museum collections in modern ornithology.
Sharpe's Rail vs. a Truly Extinct Bird
| Feature | Sharpe's Rail | Truly extinct bird |
|---|---|---|
| Historical species name | Yes | Yes |
| Known from very few specimens | Yes — one | Sometimes |
| No confirmed living individuals | Yes | Yes |
| Originally considered extinct | Yes | Yes |
| Later found to be another species | Yes | No |
| Currently accepted as separate species | No | Usually yes |
| Main issue | Taxonomic identity | Extinction |
The crucial difference is that Sharpe's Rail did not necessarily disappear from Earth.
Instead, the evidence suggests that the bird was present all along as an unusual individual of another species.
Why This Story Matters
Sharpe's Rail teaches an important lesson about science:
A scientific name is a hypothesis about biological relationships, not an unchangeable fact.
When new evidence becomes available, scientists can revise classifications.
In this case, the original classification was based heavily on the appearance of a single specimen. Later morphological and genetic evidence provided a different explanation.
This kind of taxonomic revision is a normal part of scientific progress.
Interesting Facts About Sharpe's Rail
1. It was described in 1893
Johann Büttikofer formally described the bird as Gallirallus sharpei.
2. Only one specimen is known
The entire taxonomic mystery revolves around a single specimen, RMNH 87485.
3. Its original location is uncertain
The provenance of the specimen is unknown, although various locations have been suggested historically.
4. It was once treated as extinct
Because no other individuals were known, the bird was historically regarded as possibly extinct.
5. BirdLife changed its taxonomic treatment
In 2008, BirdLife International reported that Sharpe's Rail was no longer recognised taxonomically.
6. Its unusual appearance was the key clue
The specimen's dark plumage was eventually interpreted as a colour aberration rather than evidence of a distinct species.
7. DNA provided important evidence
The 2014 research reported mitochondrial DNA evidence supporting its identification with Buff-banded Rail.
8. It is a lesson in museum science
An old museum specimen collected more than a century ago eventually became the subject of modern taxonomic investigation.
Quick Summary
Sharpe's Rail, historically known as Gallirallus sharpei, was described in 1893 from a single unusual museum specimen.
Because no other individuals were known, it was treated for many years as a mysterious and possibly extinct rail.
BirdLife International reported in 2008 that the taxon was no longer recognised. Later research, including the detailed 2014 study by Hume and van Grouw, found evidence that the specimen was actually an aberrantly coloured Buff-banded Rail rather than a separate extinct species.
Today, the Buff-banded Rail is generally treated under the scientific name Hypotaenidia philippensis in HBW/BirdLife-related taxonomy.
So Sharpe's Rail is best remembered not as a bird that went extinct, but as a remarkable example of a taxonomic mystery solved through museum study, plumage analysis and genetic evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sharpe's Rail extinct?
Not in the usual sense. Current evidence indicates that the specimen representing Sharpe's Rail was not a separate species, but an aberrantly coloured Buff-banded Rail.
What is the scientific name of Sharpe's Rail?
It was historically described as Gallirallus sharpei. The name is no longer generally accepted as representing a separate valid species.
How many Sharpe's Rail specimens exist?
Only one known specimen is associated with the taxon.
What bird was Sharpe's Rail actually?
Research indicates that the specimen was a colour-aberrant form of the Buff-banded Rail, currently generally called Hypotaenidia philippensis.
Why was Sharpe's Rail thought to be extinct?
No additional individuals were known after the specimen was collected, so it was historically treated as a possibly extinct species.
Who described Sharpe's Rail?
Johann Büttikofer described it in 1893.
What happened in 2008?
BirdLife International reported that Sharpe's Rail was no longer recognised taxonomically.
What solved the mystery?
Later examination of the specimen's coloration and genetic evidence showed that it could be assigned to Buff-banded Rail.
References
1. **BirdLife International (2008).** *Sharpe's Rail (Gallirallus sharpei): no longer recognised taxonomically.* Globally Threatened Forums. The original webpage is no longer available.
2. **Hume, J. P. & van Grouw, H. (2014).** *Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds.* Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, 134(3), 168–193. Read the research paper
3. **Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Clements Checklist.** Updates and corrections concerning bird taxonomy. View the Clements Checklist update
4. **Avibase.** *Buff-banded Rail (Hypotaenidia philippensis).* Global bird database and taxonomic reference. View the Avibase taxonomic record
5. **Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).** *Hypotaenidia philippensis* — Buff-banded Rail. View the ITIS taxonomic record