Barred Rail
Gallirallus torquatus
A strikingly marked rail with a short cocked tail. Olive-brown above and heavily barred black-and-white below and on throat, with a rufous band across the chest. Face is strikingly black with a thick white stripe. Favors damp marshy grassland up to 1000 meters of elevation. Similar to Buff-banded Rail, but easily identified by its white facial stripe and lack of a white eyebrow. Often heard giving a loud, harsh croaking chorus.
Identification
The barred rail (Gallirallus torquatus) is a species of rail found across the Philippines, Sulawesi (Indonesia) and Salawati (western New Guinea). The species is common, but shy and difficult to see. The species was formerly sometimes placed in the genus Hypotaenidia. This rail is 32–35 cm (13–14 in) in length, and weighs 241–300 g (8.5–10.6 oz). There are several described subspecies: G. t. torquatus G. t. celebensis G. t. sulcirostris G. t. kuehni G. t. limarius Its diet includes (but is not limited to) eggs, such as Philippine megapode eggs.
Taxonomy
Genus: Gallirallus; Family: Rallidae; Order: Gruiformes.
- Scientific name
- Gallirallus torquatus
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Gallirallus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
Arachnothera chrysogenys
Large spiderhunter with yellow eyerings and a similarly-colored tuft on the cheek. Bill is bicolored: pinkish at the base and darker towards the tip. Faint streaking on the throat, slightly longer and more slender bill, larger yellow ear tuft, and slightly narrower eyerings help distinguish it from similar Spectacled Spiderhunter. Forages in upper levels of lowland, foothill, and montane forests. Gives rather dry papery chittering.
Dusky-tailed Flatbill
Ramphotrigon fuscicauda
Medium-sized, olive-brown flycatcher. Faint reddish wingbars and yellowish undersides, with diffuse olive streaking on the breast. Perches upright with a typical flatbill body shape: a big head and a long tail. Found in bamboo and occasionally in dense viny secondary growth, especially around water. Gives a variety of whistled calls and songs; its main song is a three part whistle-trill-whistle series: “tew, tetrrrrrr-tew-tew-tew. . . .”
Tropical Screech-Owl
Megascops choliba
As with all screech-owls, much easier to identify by voice: a short rapid trill with a pop at the end. If you’re lucky enough to see one, look for an overall grayish-brown or rufous bird with fine markings, including thin streaks on underparts. Black border to face. Sexes alike. Found in wooded habitats, sometimes coming out into open shrubby fields or gardens with only a few scattered trees. Usually the most common screech-owl in range.
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