Secretive crake of rainforest habitats where there is thick cover alongside a stream or pool.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
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
Usually shy, but patient observation at dusk may reward viewers with a sighting. Adult dark olive-brown with rich chestnut head and chest, greenish-yellow bill, black-and-white banded undertail, and red legs. Juvenile mostly dusky. Gives an accelerating sequence of short repeated squawks and squeaks, as well as slower clicks.
Behavior
The bird's diet consists of amphibians , aquatic invertebrates , crustaceans and molluscs . It lays clutches of 3-5 dull-white eggs, the incubation periods of which are around 20 days. The crake makes repetitive clicking calls and soft grunts.
Gallery