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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Rallidae
  4. ›
  5. Tribonyx
  6. ›
  7. Black-tailed Nativehen
Black-tailed Nativehen
Photo · (c) Ged Tranter, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Black-tailed Nativehen

Tribonyx ventralis(Gould, 1837)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
GRUIFORMES
Family
Rallidae
Genus
Tribonyx

At a glance

The Black-tailed Nativehen is a medium-sized bird, about 30–38 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
30–38 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Black-tailed Nativehen look like?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is a medium-sized bird, about 30–38 cm long and weighing 250–530 g.

The black-tailed nativehen is a rail native to Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
30–38 cm
Weight
250–530 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Black-tailed Nativehen?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Black-tailed Nativehen eat?

The Black-tailed Nativehen feeds on seeds, foliage/herbs, terrestrial invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Black-tailed Nativehen live in Australia?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is native to Australia, recorded across 76 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except north, south-central, Tasmania)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Breeding

8 regions recorded