2019-05-01 Wilderness

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Features
Bandedrail/moho-pererūisa
medium-sizedbirdoftherail
family.In profile,it is verysimilar
towekabutlessthanhalfthe
sizeandweight(30cmlongand
170g).Eventhecolouringis
alike,althoughthebandedrail
hasmorecomplexanddetailed
brown(andoff-white)mark-
ings.Thebandingreferredto
initsnamecomesfroma broad
buff-orangebandlyingacrossthe
breast.Youngbirdsaredullerin
colourwitha darkbillandlegsas
opposedtothereddish-brown
billandpinkish-brown legs of an
adult.

Nesting

Thebreedingseasonliesbe-

tweenSeptemberandMarch.

Thenestsarea roughplat-

formmadeofrushandreed

fragments,mostofteninrush

thicketsbetween10cmand

50cmabove ground or water.

Diet

Bandedrailsconsumesnails,

crabs,insects,wormsandspi-

dersbutwillalsofeedondead

fish,seedsandfruit.Themajor-

ityoftheirfeedingtakesplace

inthemorningandeveningand

alongthewater’s edge as the

tide recedes.

Bird

SPOTTING

BIRDSPOTTING TIP

BANDED

RAIL

Thebandedrailisa rarely-seen

secretiveandshyestuaryand

wetlandbird.Itiswell-cam-

ouflagedand remainsunder

thecoverofvegetation,only

venturinga fewmetresinto

theopentofeedearlyinthe

morningorlateinthe evening.

ByMatt Winter

Conservationstatus

NATIVEAND

DECLINING.

A goodapproachtosee

bandedrailistowalk

estuarymudflats alongthe

edgesofreedsandrushes

lookingforfootprintsthat

resemblethatofwekabut

aremuchsmaller.Once

found,gobacktothat

areaearlyinthemorning

orlateintheeveningand

simplysit,waitandwatch.

Chancesaretheywillap-

pear to forage.

Featheryfact

Bandedrailarereluctant

butstrongflyers.Theycan

travelconsiderable

distances,mainlyatnight.

Occasionallytheywill

appearfarfromtheirnormal

breedingrangewithmost

oftheseobservationsbeing

juvenilesmovingabout

in autumn.

Call

Moho-pererūhaveanalarm

callwhichisa staccatocack-

lingsoundanda ‘swit’contact

callbothofwhichareusually

onlyheardintheearly morn-

ing and evening.

A young

banded

railin its

favoured

estuary/mudflat

habitat

MATT WINTER