Buff-banded Rail
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| Gallirallus philippensis Linnaeus, 1766 |
The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae.
This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, including the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia and numerous smaller islands, covering a range of latitudes from the tropics to the Subantarctic.
It is a largely terrestial 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.
The Buff-banded Rail is an omnivorous scavenger which feeds on a range of terrestrial invertebtrates and small vertebrates, seeds, fallen fruit and other vegetable matter, as well as carrion and refuse. Its nest is usually situated in dense grassy or reddy vegetation close to water, with a clutch size of 5-8. Although some island populations may be threatened, or even exterminated, by introduced predators, the species as a whole appears to be safe and its conservation status is considered to be of Least Concern.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2006) Species factsheet: Gallirallus philippensis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/10/2006
- Marchant, S.; & Higgins, P.J. (Eds). (1993). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553069-1
