Buff-banded Rail

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The buff-banded rail is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the rail family, Rallidae. This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, including the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous smaller islands, covering a range of latitudes from the tropics to the subantarctic. The species was formerly placed in the genus Hypotaenidia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

1. 01

   Broad buff-orange breast band

   A prominent, diagnostic band across the upper breast.

2. 02

   Finely barred black-and-white belly & flanks

   Dense, zebra-like barring covers the belly and flanks, contrasting with the breast band.

3. 03

   Rich chestnut eyestripe & nape

   A broad chestnut stripe runs through the eye, widening to cover the nape.

4. 04

   Bold white supercilium

   A prominent white stripe above the eye, contrasting with the dark crown and eyestripe.