Dressed to impress!

Fashion forward feathers

The Buff-banded Rail is a ground-dwelling bird with striking plumage. 

With bold black-and-white barring across its body, a rich chestnut band across its chest, a sleek grey eyebrow, and vibrant red eyes, it’s as if this little bird’s been designed by nature’s most daring fashionista.
 

Low-profile lifestyle

Although this feathered artwork is worthy of taking centre stage, it’s not one to strut out in the open. The Buff-banded Rail is elusive and usually only seen in a glimpse whilst darting between clumps of reeds, rushes, and long grasses. 

Wetland buffet: What’s on the menu?

These rails are found in a variety of wetlands across the Park, including freshwater wetlands and estuarine wetlands such as mangroves and coastal saltmarsh. 

And what keeps this wetland wanderer so busy? Food, of course! The Buff-banded Rail is a skilled forager, using a variety of stylish techniques:

• Probing: Using its sturdy bill to dig into mud and soil in search of invertebrates.
• Pecking: Snapping up insects and worms hiding among the reeds.
• Scratching: Raking through leaf litter and soft ground with strong legs to uncover tasty morsels.

The diet of this species includes insects, worms, and molluscs — the wetland’s equivalent of a buffet feast!

A quiet presence worth noticing

Buff-banded Rails usually go about their day in silence, but during breeding season, you might hear their trademark loud, squeaking call dappled across the Park’s wetlands — listen to their call here. 

And while these birds are usually quiet and cautious, they sometimes find themselves in surprising situations — like one Buff-banded Rail that had to be rescued from the jaws of an overly curious dog! Luckily, this individual was rescued and safely returned to Eastern Pond. See how swiftly the Buff-banded Rail disappears into dense vegetation on release, ready to resume its secretive life among the reeds.

Somewhere nearby, a Buff-banded Rail might just be watching you — silent, striped, and perfectly hidden. So, we thought we’d shine the spotlight on this mysterious resident, because even the shyest creatures deserve to be seen.