Viti Levu rail

The Viti Levu rail (Vitirallus watlingi) was a prehistoric flightless bird from Fiji. The Viti Levu rail is thought to have been about the same size as the bar-winged rail (Nesoclopeus poecilopterus) but with a very elongated and slender bill.[1]

The genus name refers to Viti Levu, the island of origin in Fiji; rallus is Latin for rail. The species name watlingi is after the ornithologist Dr Dick Watling.[1]

Remains of this species were discovered in September 1998 at Viti Levu, the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It was first described by Trevor H. Worthy in 2004.[1] The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[2]