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Chestnut Rails are large wetland birds. They are the largest of the crakes and rails of Australia. As the name suggests, their plumage is predominantly chestnut, while the head is grey, with a light-grey chin patch. They have red irises and a long yellow-green bill. The legs are yellowish, with thighs that are partly covered by chestnut feathers. There are two distinct morphologies: birds in the Top End of the NT have chestnut morphology, with all-chestnut body plumage. Birds found alon the Kimberley coast in WA have olive morphology, with an olive-grey back.

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 Chestnut Rail is available HERE .

Chestnut Rails populate parts of eastern Indonesia and Australia.

In Australia only Chestnut Rails of nominate race "castaneoventris" is found, which is endemic to the continent. They occur only in the tropical far North of the country. Their range extends along the North coast of the Kimberley, WA, eastward of King Sound, around the Top End of the NT to Arnhemland and western part of the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, plus some offshore islands within that range.

The behaviour of Chestnut Rails is not well-known. They have a preference for mangroves, but the photos below show that they can occasionally also be found in riverine or estuarine habitats.

Race "castaneoventris"

B. Hensen reports spotting a Chestnut Rail, race "castaneoventris", at Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, in March 2013.

P. Brown reports spotting a Chestnut Rail, race "castaneoventris", at Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, in September 2019, and again in November 2019.

M. Eaton also found Chestnut Rails, race "castaneoventris", at Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, in July 2020.