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

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Buff-banded Rail

Gallirallus philippensis

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) — Cranes & Rails of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of Malaysia Birds of New Zealand Birds of the Philippines Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia

By family

Rails, Crakes & Coots of Australia Rails, Crakes & Coots of Indonesia Rails, Crakes & Coots of Malaysia Rails, Crakes & Coots of New Zealand Rails, Crakes & Coots of the Philippines Rails, Crakes & Coots of New South Wales Rails, Crakes & Coots of Northern Territory Rails, Crakes & Coots of Queensland

See what's near you right now

The Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 206 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 Gallirallus
Species philippensis

Where it lives

Widespread, also Philippines

Quick facts

Weight: 206 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Allen’s Gallinule

Porphyrio alleni

Vulnerable

Gough Moorhen

Gallinula comeri

Least Concern

Red-necked Crake

Rallina tricolor

Least Concern

Common Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Buff-banded Rail 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 Buff-banded Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a member of the Rallidae family, within the order Gruiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers AU, PO widespread, also Philippines.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 206 g, with a wing length of about 14.2 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.5 million km².

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Buff-banded Rail?

The Buff-banded Rail is a large bird that weighs around 206 g.

Where does the Buff-banded Rail live?

The Buff-banded Rail is found across Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering AU, PO widespread, also Philippines, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Buff-banded Rail belong to?

The Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Buff-banded Rail eat?

The Buff-banded Rail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Buff-banded Rail migrate?

The Buff-banded Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Buff-banded 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.

How large is the Buff-banded Rail's range?

The Buff-banded Rail has a mapped global range of about 2.5 million km².