Buff-banded Rail

Coronet Bay

The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis, (Gallirallus = ‘cock-rail’, philippensis = ‘Philippines, the origin of type species’), is mostly described as a cautious and secretive bird seen singly or in pairs. A recent visit to Coronet Bay contradicted that description a little when six individuals continued to scuttle across some bare ground beside a small, marshy, coastal lagoon at the back of the sand dunes.

Coronet Bay

Buff-bandeds can inhabit a variety of wetland types: marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers, coastal lagoons, estuaries, sewage ponds, drainage channels, even temporary inundations in paddocks, etc. There needs to be some dense grasses, rushes or reeds nearby for them to seek shelter when disturbed.

Often secretive

There seems to be some seasonal movements because the bird is seen from time to time in some locations, but not consistently so – not a lot is known about their movements in our district. Unlike other rails, the buff-banded has a tendency to wander a fair distance from a water body at times, resulting in them sometimes being referred to as land rails.

Robin Hood Reserve

Buff-banded Rails have a varied diet that includes crustaceans, molluscs, insects, seeds, fruit, frogs, other birds’ eggs, carrion and often picnic ground refuse. Mornings and evenings are usually when they are seen seeking food out in the open.

They call with a squeaky, harsh, ‘kreeek’ note, especially during the breeding season.