Photo: John Gould / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Forbes’s Forest Rail
Rallicula forbesi
Forbes's Forest Rail (Rallicula forbesi) — Cranes & Rails of Australia & Oceania.
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The Forbes’s Forest Rail (Rallicula forbesi) is a member of the Sarothruridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 85.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Gruiformes
- Family Sarothruridae Flufftails & Forest Rails
- Genus Rallicula
- Species forbesi
Where it lives
Montane west-central to northeastern (Adelbert Range and Huon Pen.) and southeastern New Guinea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 85.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Sarothruridae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Forbes’s Forest Rail (Rallicula forbesi) is a species of bird in the Sarothruridae family, part of the order Gruiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU montane wc to ne (Adelbert Range and Huon Pen.) and se New Guinea.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 85.1 g, with a wing length of about 10.7 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 197,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Forbes’s Forest Rail?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 85.1 g.
Where does the Forbes’s Forest Rail live?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU montane wc to ne (Adelbert Range and Huon Pen.) and se New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Forbes’s Forest Rail belong to?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail (Rallicula forbesi) belongs to the Sarothruridae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Forbes’s Forest Rail eat?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Forbes’s Forest Rail migrate?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Forbes’s Forest Rail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Forbes’s Forest Rail make?
1 real field recording of the Forbes’s Forest Rail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Forbes’s Forest Rail's range?
The Forbes’s Forest Rail has a mapped global range of about 197,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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