Buff-banded Rail
Gallirallus philippensis
The Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a uncommon rails, gallinules, and coot found in 17 countries, weighing about 206 g. The buff-banded rail is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the rail family, Rallidae.
About the Buff-banded Rail
The buff-banded rail is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the rail family, Rallidae. This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, including the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous smaller islands, covering a range of latitudes from the tropics to the subantarctic. The species was formerly placed in the genus Hypotaenidia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
It is a largely terrestrial bird the size of a small domestic chicken, with mainly brown upperparts, finely banded black and white underparts, a white eyebrow, chestnut band running from the bill round the nape, with a buff band on the breast. It utilises a range of moist or wetland habitats with low, dense vegetation for cover. It is usually quite shy but may become very tame and bold in some circumstances, such as in island resorts within the Great Barrier Reef region.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Buff-banded Rail can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Buff-banded Rail?
- It is a largely terrestrial bird the size of a small domestic chicken, with mainly brown upperparts, finely banded black and white underparts, a white eyebrow, chestnut band running from the bill round the nape, with a buff band on the breast. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Buff-banded Rail?
- The Buff-banded Rail is a medium sized bird weighing about 206 g.
- Where can you see a Buff-banded Rail?
- The Buff-banded Rail occurs in 17 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Palau.
- What birds look similar to a Buff-banded Rail?
- The Buff-banded Rail is most easily confused with the Weka, the Barred Rail and the Lord Howe Woodhen.
- Is the Buff-banded Rail endangered?
- The Buff-banded Rail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Buff-banded Rail for real
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