Species: Gallirallus philippensis
Description
Size 290-320mm
Sexes similar. Russet crown flecked olive. Grey-white face with a white eyebrow and a tan stripe through the eye. Red eye. Upperparts olive brown mottled black and spotted white. Chestnut nape. Throat, chest and belly grey with dark bands. Distinctive buff band across the chest.
Call
Normally silent. High-pitched ‘cheeps’. Territorial ‘coo-aw-oo-aw-oo-aw’.
Distribution
Coastal wetlands around parts of the mainland, principally Vic, NSW and s Qld. Vagrant in Tas. Sedentary, dispersive.
Nesting
Breeds September-January. Cup of grass and reeds at the base of a tussock or sedge.
Habits
A ground dwelling bird that inhabits dense, tussocky vegetation around swamps, lagoons and wetlands. Feeds on insects and molluscs found on wet ground. If flushed, it runs for cover rather than flying.