other names
Banded Land Rail, Land Rail, Painted Rail and Little Tarler Bird

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DESCRIPTION

Sexes similar in appearance. 300-330mm in length. Crown russet-olive flecked dusky. Nape is plain light rusty coloured. Rest of upper surface is brownish-olive, mottled black and spotted white on mantle and shoulders. Wings are dusky with broad rusty-buff bars, grading whiter. Grey-brown eyebrow, broad rusty stripe through eye to nape. Grey cheeks. White chin grading to mid-grey foreneck. Breast flanks and crissum barred black and white with broad rusty band across centre of breast. Centre belly is plain mid-grey. Red eye. Flesh-brown bill. Feet and claws are light brown.

Juvenile: As adult but duller in colour. Without rust on hind neck and no breast bend. Eye is brown.

Voice: Call generally at dusk, a loud creaky swit-swit. When surprised or agitated utters loud throat krek. At nest a soft low kik-kik-kik.

The Buff-Banded rail is a coast and sub-coastal bird (rarely venturing far inland) and can be found in the west and south-west of Western Australia and in the uppermost northern areas of Western Australia, into the Northern Territory and from Cape York in Queensland down the eastern coast into New South Wales and Victoria. It can also be found in Tasmania where it is considered rare.

The rail is a ground dweller and inhabits dense tussocky vegetation and shrubberies around swamps and lagoons, mangroves and watercourses. It is generally a nomadic bird moving around seasonally, however local groups may be sedentary in lush, stable habitat as in eastern Queensland. Across the southern areas of Australia the rail is quite abundant from late winter through to spring at breeding time.

The Buff-Banded rail is rarely seen as it stays hidden in undercover, however it can sometimes be seen alone or in pairs pecking for food which includes insects, small molluscs and other invertebrates. It also eats seeds and other vegetable matter.

During the breeding season the bird becomes quite territorial, shrieking harshly day and night. It can breed at any time throughout the year if conditions are suitable but generally from September to January. Nests are made in grass or reeds that are pulled down and woven into a cup which are hidden under tussock, rocks or logs. Five to eight eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes for around 18 to 19 days.