Tricolor rail
| Tricolor rail | ||||||||||||
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Tricolor Rail, Kuranda, Australia |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Rallina tricolor | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1858 |
The three-colored rail ( Rallina tricolor ) is a type of rail that belongs to the species of the genus Rallina . It is a large, maroon and olive brown species of rail that is found in rainforests. Their distribution area extends from the Moluccas to the east of Australia.
The stock situation of the three-color rail is given as harmless ( least concern ). No subspecies are distinguished.
Appearance
The three-colored rail reaches a body length of 23 to 29 centimeters, of which 7 to 7.3 centimeters are on the tail. The wing length is 14.2 to 15.4 centimeters. The beak is 2.5 to 3 inches long. The weight is between 109 and 239 grams. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism .
Adult birds
The head, neck, coat and chest are maroon, the chin and throat are pale reddish brown to whitish. The back is olive brown to the tail plumage with a slightly grayish tone. The belly, the flanks, the rump and the under tail-coverts are dark brown with an individually different amount of a fine, darker transverse banding. The wings are cross-banded in black and white on the underside. The beak is green to yellow-green with a gray to blue-gray beak base. The iris is orange-red to red and the eye is surrounded by a fine orange-yellow orbital ring. The legs and feet are olive green to brownish.
Fledglings
Young birds are uniformly dark olive-brown on the upper side of the body. Only on the back of the neck does the plumage have a slightly reddish brown tone. The underside of the body is dark brown, the chin and throat are whitish with a brown spot. The lower wings are cross-banded in black and white, as in the adult birds.
Possible confusion
There is a possibility of confusion with the Malay Rail , which belongs to the same genus and which is an occasional wanderer in the distribution area of the three-colored rail . The Malay Rail is conspicuously cross-banded in black and white on the underside of the body. It also has reddish legs and a darker beak, as well as a striking red orbital ring .
Young birds can be confused with the young birds of the Philippines keel rail ( Amaurornis olivaceus ). The most striking difference to the young birds of the three-colored rail is the pure white chin and the pure white throat of this species.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the three-colored rail extends from the Moluccas and the Lesser Sunda Islands over the plains and foothills of New Guinea to the northeast of Australia. In Australia, the distribution area is limited to the islands of the Torres Strait and parts of the Australian state of Queensland . It stretches on mainland Australia from the Cape York Peninsula to the Atherton Tablelands . Some islands off the East Australian coast are also being settled.
The habitat of the three-colored rail is tropical rainforest, in most of the distribution area this species occurs predominantly below 700 meters above sea level. The Australian Atherton Tablelands are an exception, where this species is found at altitudes between 750 and 1250 meters. It is found in the dense undergrowth near wetlands and rivers and, if these habitat requirements are met, can even be found in gardens.
The three-colored rail is a partial puller within its range . Parts of New Guinea's populations move to the Australian Cape York Peninsula when the forest floors there are too wet or flooded during the rainy season. In the regions where rainfall is more evenly distributed over the year, the three-colored rail, on the other hand, is a resident bird.
Way of life
The three-colored rail is a diurnal bird that rests in the thickest undergrowth of rainforests and builds its nest. It prefers to look for food in the leafy layer lying on the ground near shallow flowing waters or directly in the bank area. It is also occasionally seen near salt water. It mainly eats invertebrates, frogs and tadpoles. While searching for food, it examines the leafy layer with its beak and claws. It also looks for food in shallow water, where it prefers to turn flat stones with its beak.
Reproduction
The reproductive biology of the three-colored rail has not yet been conclusively investigated. However, the three-colored rail breeds in a shallow hollow in the ground that is only covered with a few dead leaves. The clutch consists of three to five eggs. They are laid by the female about 24 hours apart. The brood begins as soon as the clutch is complete. The nestlings hatch largely synchronously. They are covered with black dunes when they hatch. Both parent birds feed and lead the young birds, which start looking for food independently from their third to fifth day of life. However, the young birds are still dependent on feeding by the parent birds until they are five weeks old.
Tricolor rail and human
Since the rail is predominantly a lowland dweller, it is particularly affected by the clearing of the rainforests accessible in these regions. Overall, however, the species is widespread and quite common.
literature
- Bruce M. Beehler, Thane K. Pratt: Birds of New Guinea; Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics . Princeton University Press, Princeton 2016, ISBN 978-0-691-16424-3 .
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds , Volume 2, Raptors to Lapwings, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-553069-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b of the Birds of the World zur Dreiffarbenralle accessed on May 28, 2017.
- ↑ a b c Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 2, p. 488.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 2, p. 492.
- ↑ a b c d e Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 2, p. 489.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 2, p. 491.