This bird is very very shy. I’ve seen it twice, and this is the best photo I have. It’s my first sighting of a Buff-banded Rail, or any kind of rail.

The bird has a distinctive wide white eyebrow, with a chestnut stripe through the eye. The top of the head is a darker brown, and the beak is orange and quite long. (At first I thought the bird was some sort of quail, but I couldn’t find any quails with orange beaks.) The body has black and white barring on the sides, whereas the plumage on the back is mottled brown and cream.

The bird hides in the low growth at the edge of Manly Dam, on Sydney’s northern beaches. I’ll keep a look out, to try and get a better photo.

Common name: Buff-banded Rail
Scientific name: Gallirallus philippensis
Length: 28-32 cm
Date spotted: 26 October 2024 (spring)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’40.0″S 151°14’50.2″E