Barred belly with a smudged orange-buff chest band.
Not listed
Indigenous: Landrail, Little Tarler Bird, Pectoral Rail, Banded Landrail, Painted Rail, Buff-Banded Land-Rail, Corncrake, Banded Rail
At a glance
FamilyRails, Gallinules, and Coots
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatUsually sticks to dense cover near water, occasionally strutting around the edges or crossing paths.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from August to January.
Range map
Range map
2385visible hotspots
68950visible records
6states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Reddish head with strong pale eyebrow. Makes a loud squeaking call. On small islands (e.g. Green Island, Lord Howe Island, Lady Elliot Island) it is extremely tame and abundant.
Behavior
Usually sticks to dense cover near water, occasionally strutting around the edges or crossing paths.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Northern Territory
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Black-tailed NativehenTribonyx ventralisNote pale green base to the bill with a yellow tip and a red spot, bright red-pink legs, and pale spots on flanks. Can occur in large numbers. Hard to approach, and when disturbed runs away fast. Tends to be less vocal than other waterhen species.→Australian CrakePorzana flumineaTail is often held cocked.→Tasmanian NativehenTribonyx mortieriiHas a yellow-green bill and a white thigh patch.→