Buff-banded Rail

Overview

The buff-banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized bird in the rail family, Rallidae. It comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, ranging from the tropics to the subantarctic.

Identification

• Mains brown upperparts, finely banded black and white underparts, and a white eyebrow.
• Features a chestnut band running from the bill round the nape, with a buff band on the breast.
• Length is 25–33 cm (9.8–13.0 in) with a wingspan of 40–52 cm (16–20 in).
• Males average 185 g (6.5 oz) while females average 172 g (6.1 oz), with a maximum weight of 303 g (10.7 oz).

Habitat

This species lives in a range of moist or wetland habitats with low, dense vegetation for cover, occurring up to elevations of 3,600 m (11,800 ft). Its range includes the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous smaller islands throughout the south-west Pacific.

Diet

It is an omnivorous scavenger that feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, small vertebrates, seeds, fallen fruit, and other vegetable matter, as well as carrion and refuse.

Did you know?

The weka in New Zealand evolved from a lineage with common ancestry to modern buff-tailed banded rail populations and has changed over time to become flightless.