Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Laterallus spilonota (Gould, 1841)

Polluela de Galápagos, Pachay, Galapagos Rail, Galápagos crake

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Aves

Order
Gruiformes

Family
Rallidae

Genus
Laterallus

Species
spilonota

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Porzana spilonota Schlater & Salvin, 1868

Origin: Endemic

Status

Vulnerable

Distribution

Distribution: On Santa Cruz, Santiago, Pinta. Also on Isabela, Floreana, San Cristobal. Extinct on Baltra.

References

  • Wiedenfeld, D.A. (2006) Aves, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Check List 2006 2(2): 1-27.
  • Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. Milstead, B., Márquez, C., Zabala, J., Buitrón, P., Llerena, A., et al. (2007) Galapagos vertebrates: endangered status and conservation actions. Galapagos Report 2006–2007. Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, p. 104–110.
  • Harris, M.P. (1973) The Galápagos avifauna. Condor 75(3): 265-278.
  • Gifford, E.W. (1913) The birds of the Galápagos Islands, with observations on the birds of Cocos and Clipperton Islands (Columbiformes to Pelicaniformes). Expedition of the California Academy of Science, 1905 -1906. Part VIII. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, 2(1): 1-132.
  • Salvin, O. (1876) On the avifauna of the Galápagos Archipelago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 9: 447-510.
  • Wiedenfeld, D.A. Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2008) Critical problems for bird conservation in the Galapagos Island. Cotinga 29: 22-27.
  • Bisconti, M. Landini, W., Bianucci, G., Cantalamessa, G., Carnevale, G. Ragaini, L. & Valleri, G. (2001) Biogeographic relationships of the Galapagos terrestrial biota: parsimony analyses of endemicity based on reptiles, land birds and Scalesia land plants. J. Biogeogr. 28: 495-510.
  • Rosenberg, D. (1987) Impacto de los herbívoros introducidos sobre el Pacha y de Galápagos (Laterallus spilonotus) Memorias. Investigación Botánica y Manejo en Galápagos. Pg.188-198
  • Freile, J.F. Santander, T., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Carrasco, L., Cisneros-Heredia, D., Guevara, E., Sánchez-Nivicela, M., Tinoco, B. (2019) Lista Roja de las aves del Ecuador Quito, Ecuador. 97 pp.
  • GBIF Secretariat (2021) GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei Accessed via https://www.gbif.org/species/5284517
  • Dvorak, M. Nemeth, E., Anchundia, D., Venceslau Carvalho e Silva, H., Wendelin, B. & Fessl, B. (2025) Status, distribution and populations trends of Galápagos Rail (Laterallus spilonota) and Paint-billed Crake (Neocrex erythrops) on the Galápagos Islands Bird Conservation International 35: e17

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Laterallus spilonota", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist?species=5109. Accessed 9 July 2025.