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...

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 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.

     See all 20 subspecies
  • 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.