The plumage was darkish blue on head, neck and breast contrasted with an entirely black rump and tail.

The eggs said to belong to this species were found in a nest on the ground which was made from twigs and grass.

In all there are ten or eleven remaining specimens and one or two eggs in museums (e.g. in Leiden, New York, Liverpool and London).

It apparently became extinct in the 1870s due to predation by introduced species such as rats and feral cats.

[citation needed] It is likely that fieldwork to determine the identity of the mysterious birds is to get underway soon, as there is increasing threat of wholesale logging.