Alternative name: Pink-legged Rail
- Gallirallus insignis
Identification
33 cm. A probably almost flightless rail.
- Dark brown head and upperparts
- Blackish underparts with fine white barring
- Very short tail
- Some white barring on inner webs of primaries
- Pinkish legs
- Black bill
Sexes similar, juveniles not described.
Similar species
Barred Rail has a longer tail and brown legs, Okinawa Rail has reddish bill and legs.
Distribution
Endemic to New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago off Papua New Guinea.
Locally common in the 1980's, current status unknown. Hunted and eaten by local people.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Sometimes placed in genus Rallus, Hypotaenidia or monospecific Habropteryx. Clearly closely related to Barred Rail and Okinawa Rail.
Habitat
Found in heavy damp forest and mountain valleys, also in swampy cane grass.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1130 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on snails, insects and vegetable matter.
Breeding
Nests on the ground. Usually seen in groups. No other information available.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) New Britain Rail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/New_Britain_Rail
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
