Rails, Gallinules and Coots (Rallidae)
Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) - HBW 3, p. 163
French: Râle tiklin
German: Bindenralle
Spanish: Rascón Filipino
Other common names: Banded/Land Rail, Banded Land-rail
Taxonomy: Rallus philippensis Linnaeus, 1766, Philippines.
Sometimes placed in Rallus. Forms superspecies with G. owstoni, and perhaps with G. rovianae; probably also with extinct G. wakensis, G. pacificus, G. dieffenbachii and G. modestus. Great geographical variation, with up to 26 subspecies recognized; validity of some racial distinctions, e.g. tounelierie, questionable in view of individual plumage variation, minor sexual size differences, and changes due to age and wear; possible race wahgiensis included in reductus; randi, norfolkensis, australis and som.. View all taxonomy...
Sometimes placed in Rallus. Forms superspecies with G. owstoni, and perhaps with G. rovianae; probably also with extinct G. wakensis, G. pacificus, G. dieffenbachii and G. modestus. Great geographical variation, with up to 26 subspecies recognized; validity of some racial distinctions, e.g. tounelierie, questionable in view of individual plumage variation, minor sexual size differences, and changes due to age and wear; possible race wahgiensis included in reductus; randi, norfolkensis, australis and some yorki in mellori; other yorki in tounelierie. Extinct form dieffenbachii sometimes included as race, but now generally considered specifically distinct. Race macquariensis of Macquarie I recently extinct. Twenty extant subespecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- andrewsi (Mathews, 1911) - Cocos (Keeling) Is.
- philippensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - Philippines; Sulawesi E to Buru; Sumba (race?), Alor, Sawu, Roti and Timor.
- pelewensis (Mayr, 1933) - Palau Is.
- andrewsi (Mathews, 1911) - Cocos (Keeling) Is.
- philippensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - Philippines; Sulawesi E to Buru; Sumba (race?), Alor, Sawu, Roti and Timor.
- pelewensis (Mayr, 1933) - Palau Is.
- xerophilus (van Bemmel & Hoogerwerf, 1941) - Gunungapi (Lesser Sundas).
- wilkinsoni (Mathews, 1911) - Flores.
- lacustris (Mayr, 1938) - N New Guinea.
- reductus (Mayr, 1938) - C highlands and NE coastal New Guinea, including Long I.
- anachoretae (Mayr, 1949) - Kaniet (Anchorite) Is, NW of Ninigo Is.
- admiralitatis (Stresemann, 1929) - Admiralty Is.
- praedo (Mayr, 1949) - Skoki (Admiralty Is).
- lesouefi (Mathews, 1911) - New Hanover, Tabar and Tanga Is, and possibly New Ireland (Bismarck Archipelago).
- meyeri (Hartert, 1930) - New Britain and Witu Is (Bismarck Archipelago).
- christophori (Mayr, 1938) - Solomon Is.
- mellori (Mathews, 1912) - S & SW New Guinea, Australia and Norfolk I.
- assimilis (G. R. Gray, 1843) - New Zealand.
- tounelierie Schodde & de Naurois, 1982 - Coral Sea islets, from SE New Guinea archipelagos and Great Barrier Reef E to Surprise group (off N New Caledonia).
- swindellsi (Mathews, 1911) - New Caledonia and Loyalty Is.
- sethsmithi (Mathews, 1911) - Vanuatu and Fiji.
- ecaudatus (J. F. Miller, 1783) - Tonga.
- goodsoni (Mathews, 1911) - Samoa and Niue I.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird preening and calling (quietly). Locality Forde, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Stephen Wallace 28 August 2012 37 weeks ago 1 min 52 sec 4.7 -
Single very tame bird around visitor-accommodation. Locality Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia (ssp mellori )
Tom Tarrant 25 November 2006 4 years ago 22 sec 4.6 -
A close-up of a bird foraging on the ground Locality Kingfisher Park, Julatten, Queensland, Australia (ssp mellori)
Keith Blomerley 5 November 2003 5 years ago 24 sec 4.6 -
A bird walking on the ground Locality Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia (ssp mellori)
Peter Nash 26 October 2006 6 years ago 47 sec 4.5 -
A bird walking on a lawn, flicking the tail alarmed and hiding. Locality SPREP Headquarters, Vailima, Upolu Island, Samoa (ssp goodsoni)
Josep del Hoyo 5 September 2012 23 weeks ago 29 sec 4.4 -
A bird defecating and scratching the head while foraging on a lawn. Locality Robert Louis Stevenson House, Vailima, Upolu Island, Samoa (ssp goodsoni)
Josep del Hoyo 6 September 2012 23 weeks ago 28 sec 4.3
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A bird walking near a pond.
Locality Serendip Sanctuary, Lara, Victoria, Australia (ssp mellori)
Nick Talbot 1 October 2012 30 weeks ago 4.3 -
Adult skulking on edge of reed-bed.
Locality Laratinga Wetlands, Mount Barker, South Australia, Australia (ssp mellori)
Edward Smith 8 February 2010 2 years ago 4.2 -
if you can see one of the rails legs is tucked in because the only exposed parts of their body are legs and head. To avoid massi
Locality Featherdale Wildlife Park, New South Wales, Australia
slr800 6 December 2010 2 years ago 4.1 -
A bird walking next to a wetland.
Locality Newhaven, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia (ssp mellori)
Nick Talbot 27 January 2013 13 weeks ago 4 -
Adult bird in "Ilot Maitre" in New-Caledonia Locality New Caledonia (ssp swindellsi)
AUGER Benjamin 3 March 2011 1 year ago 4 -
Buff-banded Rail on Heron Island
Locality Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Keff McCulloch 18 July 2011 1 year ago 4
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Calls by two birds responding each other. Locality Robert Louis Stevenson House, Vailima, Upolu Island, Samoa
(ssp goodsoni)
Josep del Hoyo 6 September 2012 23 weeks ago 4 -
bird calling from ricefield Locality Sagada, Mountain Province, Luzon, Philippines
Desmond Allen 1 January 2006 3 years ago 3.5 -
bird calling in ricefield Locality Sagada, Mountain Province, Luzon, Philippines
Desmond Allen 1 January 2007 3 years ago 3 -
A bird calling in an enclosure. Locality Serendip Sanctuary, Lara, Victoria, Australia
(ssp mellori)
Nick Talbot 1 October 2012 31 weeks ago 0
