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Very secretive medium-sized rail that inhabits dense vegetation around wetland habitats in northern and northeastern Australia.
VIC: Vulnerable
Indigenous: Brown Rail, Rufous-Tailed Crake, Rufous-Vented Rail, Bush-Hen
At a glance
FamilyRails, Gallinules, and Coots
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatReedbeds, marsh edges, farm dams, sedgelands, and thick waterside vegetation.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from December to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
450visible hotspots
9527visible records
4states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Rarely seen away from cover. Dull gray-blue body, brown wings and tail, with reddish-brown undertail, yellow-green bill with small shield, and long yellow legs.
Behavior
Gives a variety of calls, usually a loud, repeated, squawky
Gallery