Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pale-vented Bush-hen
Amaurornis moluccana
Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) — Cranes & Rails of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 187 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 Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
- Genus Amaurornis
- Species moluccana
Where it lives
Sangihe (north of northeastern Sulawesi), Sula Is. (east of Sulawesi) and Moluccas to New Guinea and satellites, Australia and Solomon Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 187 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Rallidae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) is a member of the Rallidae family, within the order Gruiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sangihe (n of ne Sulawesi), Sula Is. (e of Sulawesi) and Moluccas to New Guinea and satellites, Australia and Solomon Is.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 187 g, with a wing length of about 13.2 cm and a tail of around 5 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 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pale-vented Bush-hen?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is a large bird that weighs around 187 g.
Where does the Pale-vented Bush-hen live?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sangihe (n of ne Sulawesi), Sula Is. (e of Sulawesi) and Moluccas to New Guinea and satellites, Australia and Solomon Is, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Pale-vented Bush-hen belong to?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Pale-vented Bush-hen eat?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Pale-vented Bush-hen migrate?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pale-vented Bush-hen 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 Pale-vented Bush-hen make?
1 real field recording of the Pale-vented Bush-hen — 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 Pale-vented Bush-hen's range?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million 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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