and covered in pineapple, coconut, scrub, ferns, and grass. Fauna The arrival of humans caused the extinction of local wildlife. Surviving land-based species include the insular flying fox, Pacific reef heron, Pacific black duck, spotless crake, mewing kingfisher, Cook reed warbler, as well as 12 species of seabirds. Introduced species include the red junglefowl, Polynesian rat, Oceania gecko and mourning gecko. Birds described from subfossil remains that became extinct as a consequence of human settlement of the island and the introduction of exotic mammals include the Mangaia rail (Gallirallus ripleyi) and the Mangaia crake (Porzana rua). The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. See also Auraka Tuanaki Mangaia swiftlet References Islands of the Cook Islands Important Bird Areas of the Cook Islands