Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Black-tailed Nativehen

Tribonyx ventralis

Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) — Cranes & Rails of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of New Zealand Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia

By family

Rails, Crakes & Coots of Australia Rails, Crakes & Coots of New Zealand Rails, Crakes & Coots of New South Wales Rails, Crakes & Coots of Northern Territory Rails, Crakes & Coots of Queensland Rails, Crakes & Coots of Tasmania Rails, Crakes & Coots of Western Australia

See what's near you right now

The Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 386 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
Genus Tribonyx
Species ventralis

Where it lives

Australia (except northern, south-central, Tasmania)

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 386 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Black-tailed Nativehen 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 Black-tailed Nativehen is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family, part of the order Gruiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except n, sc, Tasmania).

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 386 g, with a wing length of about 20.5 cm and a tail of around 8.3 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 4.6 million km².

Songs & calls

Black-tailed Nativehen — Call

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Black-tailed Nativehen?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is a large bird that weighs around 386 g.

Where does the Black-tailed Nativehen live?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except n, sc, Tasmania), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Black-tailed Nativehen belong to?

The Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Black-tailed Nativehen eat?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Black-tailed Nativehen migrate?

The Black-tailed Nativehen is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Black-tailed Nativehen 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 Black-tailed Nativehen make?

1 real field recording of the Black-tailed Nativehen — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Black-tailed Nativehen's range?

The Black-tailed Nativehen has a mapped global range of about 4.6 million km².