Banded Rail

(Rallus philippensis)

Also known as moho-pereru, buff-banded rail.

Live: Northland to Bay of Plenty on the New Zealand mainland, and on some offshore islands.

Habitat: Wet gullies, swamps, lake edges and mangrove marshes.

Diet: Invertebrates (snails, worms, insects), fruit and seeds. In mangrove swamps they also eat shellfish and crustaceans.

Gestation: Usually 5 buff-coloured eggs with purple, brown or grey spots, incubated by both parents for about18 days.

Status: Least concern

General: Similar in size to a bantam hen, they are the largest of the swamp rails. Females are generally smaller than males.

They are most often heard at dusk - a range of calls, described as 'creaking' and 'growling', near the nest. As they are presumed to be territorial, calling may be a warning to other rails.

Banded rails walk with a deliberate stride and flick their tails. They are able to fly but prefer to run from danger, with neck outstretched parallel to the ground.

They tend to breed between August and March. Their nest is made of matted layers of vegetation with a rough 'roof' of cover over the top.

There are generally 2 broods each year, the second occurring when the chicks from the first are one month old and independent. Chicks fledge in 5 to 6 weeks.