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Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) Alternate name(s): "Banded Landrail", "Buff-banded Landrail", "Landrail", "Painted Rail", "Pectoral Rail", "Corn-crake", "Little Tarler Bird" Aboriginal name(s): Race "mellori": "lerp" [eastern djadjawurrung]; "kooli" (WA) Size: 28-32 cm Body mass: 150-210 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Buff-banded Rails are medium-sized wetland birds. They have highly cryptic plumage. The throat is grey, the breast and belly are heavily barred grey and dark-brown. The vent is also barred, but light-brown to creamy hues dominating over the thin dark-brown bars. On the chest they have the name-giving buff band. The cheeks are chestnut, above which the white eyebrow is prominently visible. The cap is dark-brown. The upperparts (nape of neck, mantle, uppertail and wings) are all dark-brown, mottled with lighter brown and white speckles. Bill, legs and feet are brown, with some grey (especially the top ridge of the upper mandible). Twitcher's tip Compared to Lewin's Rails, Buff-banded Rails have a much lighter "jizz"; most notably, they have a white supercilium.

Taxonomy, classification See Buff-banded Rail at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Buff-banded Rail is available HERE . Buff-banded Rails, of which there are many different races, are found in large parts of South-east Asia, from the Phillipines and eastern Indonesia, via New Guinea and basically all southern Pacific islands, to Australia and New Zealand. In Australia there are two races of Buff-banded Rail. Race "mellori", which is endemic to Australia, is found mostly along the eastern seaboard (including part of the Great Dividing Range), further along the South coast to about Adelaide, SA, and on the south-western tip of WA. They can also occasionally be found on islands along Bass Strait and on the North and East coast of Tasmania. After substantial rainfall they can disperse from near-coastal areas on the continent into the interior, out to a line from about Townsville, QLD, to Bourke, NSW, excluding the north-western tip of NSW, and continuing from Bourke, NSW, to the base of the Eyre peninsula. In the West they can disperse along the WA coastal fringe and also populate most of the tropical North. Race "tounelieri" is found only on the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Buff-banded Rails live in dense vegetation around both fresh and sea water, e.g. lakes, rivers and estuaries. They are also found on offshore islands. Where to look? How to find this species? Although, in general, Buff-banded Rails are shy and tend to stay in cover, among the small waterfowl they are the most likely to cautiously venture out from reeds into more open areas, either to feed in adjacent grassland or to take a bath. The most likely environment in which they can be found is in urban parks.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "mellori" A single Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", was first spotted by us at Narrabri Lake in September 2011 and again in April-May 2012. In January 2012 a single Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", came visiting our dam and rural garden at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, NSW. J. Faris reports infrequent sightings of Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", especially during times of high water levels of the Namoi River and its tributaries, on the western fringe of the Narrabri township and 20 km West of Narrabri, NSW. C. Hayne reports occasional spottings of Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", in reeds and other dense growth in wetlands and along waterways in the area of Moree, NSW. J. Thurmer reports spotting a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", near the Penguin Centre on Granite Island, SA, in July 2012. A. Ross-Taylor spotted Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", at Kuranda Wildlife Park near Cairns, QLD, in April 2012 and at Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD, in March-May 2014. J. Greaves reports spotting Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", at Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, in January 2015 and on Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, in March 2016. R. Plumtree reports spotting a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", at Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, in December 2015. M. Windeyer reports spotting Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", regularly in a small wetland in Gilgandra, NSW, during the 2016/2017 breeding season. E. Scott spotted a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", in Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, in January 2016. R. Russell reports spotting Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", occasionally at Mount Molloy, QLD. A Buff-banded Rail was seen by C. Kellenberg on Lord Howe Island, where they are introduced, in July 2010. M. Eaton found a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, in September 2020, and another at Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, in December 2022. M. Collins found 3 Buff-banded Rails, race "mellori", at a creek crossing of a major road 20 km NE of Narrabri, NSW, in July 2021. P. Brown found a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", at Fogg Dam CR, NT, in August 2021. In August 2023, C. Pears found a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA. A bird was seen again at the same location in November 2023. The species was found breeding at the same location in the timeframe November/December 2025. C. Pears also found a Buff-banded Rail, race "mellori", at the Brisbane Botanical Garden, Brisbane, QLD, in August 2026. Race "tounelieri" C. & T. Lawrence report spotting a Buff-banded Rail, race "tounelieri", on Green Island, Great Barrier Reef, near Cairns, QLD, in September 2006. H. Mouritsen reports spotting Buff-banded Rails, race "tounelieri", on One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, near Rockhampton, QLD, in January 2011. M. Mearns reports spotting Buff-banded Rails, race "tounelieri", on Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, in January 2016. M. Eaton reports spotting a Buff-banded Rail, race "tounelieri", on Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, in September 2017. Others were found on Green Island, near Cairns, QLD, in June 2024.

Photos

Race "mellori"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, January 2016]

Frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail looking sideways (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2015]

Frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, September 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail shaking itself (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, December 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, December 2022]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Kuranda Wildlife Park near Cairns, QLD, April 2012]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2015]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2020]

Lateral view of a very scruffy-looking, possibly moulting, Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2014]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, January 2018]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail swimming near the edge of a lake
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, December 2022]

Dorsal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, January 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Buff-banded Rail vanishing in underbrush (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Lateral view of a juvenile Buff-banded Rail crossing a footpath (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Lateral view of an adult Buff-banded Rail, right, with a juvenile in tow (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lover's Bay, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Juvenile Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lover's Bay, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Buff-banded Rail with one of its parents (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Adult Buff-banded Rail with two of in total five chicks (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]

Race "tounelieri"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Green Island, near Cairns, QLD, June 2024]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]

Dorsal view of a Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Leucistic Buff-banded Rail

Near-dorsal view of a leucistic Buff-banded Rail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Green Island, near Cairns, QLD, June 2024]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a Buff-banded Rail with a young chick by its side (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Green Island, near Cairns, QLD, June 2024]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Dec

Eggs: 5 - 8

Incubation period: 18 - 19 days

Fledging age: precocial

Depending on geographic latitude and conditions, Buff-banded Rails can in principle breed any time of the year; the period indicated in the table above is the core breeding season. In inland areas their breeding cycle will be dominated by rainfall events, in the tropical North it will be during the dry season.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Reeds, grass stems

Height above ground: N/A

Buff-banded Rail hatchling (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lover's Bay, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 36 x 28 mm

Colour: Creamy, with mid- to dark-brown speckles

Shape: Oval

Behaviour

Buff-banded Rails are secretive birds that tend to stay in dense cover, especially in broad daylight. It is often easier to find them in overcast and/or rainy conditions, because in bad light they will occasionally venture into more open country.

Buff-banded Rails can sometimes appear in unexpected places - this one is foraging by the side of a gravel road
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2015]

It always comes as a surprise to us that aquatic birds also sometimes need to take a bath, here a Buff-banded Rail doing so (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, November 2012]

Buff-banded Rail taking a bath while "hiding in plain view"
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2023]

Food, Diet

Buff-banded Rails are omnivores that feed primarily on small animals, seeds and plant material. They also scavenge, both for carrion and rubbish.

Close-up lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail with food for its offspring, a moth (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail with its prey, a beetle (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, December 2022]

This Buff-banded Rail has found a small meal (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2014]

Buff-banded Rail with its small prey (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-banded Rail digging up small prey from mud under leaf litter
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2023]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

bubrail_aa_20181105.m4a	(ACT)	Calling for a mate	© AA
bubrail_20221221.mp3	(NW NSW)	In-flight call?	© MD

More Buff-banded Rail sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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