Drummer Rail (Habroptila wallacii)

Other Names (World)
Drummer Rail, Invisible Rail, Wallace's Rail, Halmahera Rail

Family
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, Coots)

Size
40 cm

First Described (Guide)
Gray, 1860

Habitat
Dense, impenetrable, swampy thickets, swamp edges at the interface with deciduous foothill-forest, tall reeds, alang-alang grassland, overgrown native plantations, sweet potato and cassava fields adjacent to forest and streams, mangroves.

Range (Guide)

Indonesia (B).

Halmahera (northern Moluccas).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 2,500 - 9,999 (2010) and decreasing.

Status VU
Habitat loss and fragmentation through conversion to agriculture, irrigation schemes, predation by dogs, are the main threat.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Flightless.

Voice
A low drumming interspersed with loud scream.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (10)...)

Invisible Rail (Habroptila wallacii) [XC203941]
by Patrik \u00c5berg from Weda, Central Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia (alarm call)

Invisible Rail (Habroptila wallacii) [XC216308]
by Brian Cox from Lolobata National Park, Binagara Halmahera, Indonesia (song)

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Similar Species
Bush-hen (Amaurornis olivacea) which is smaller, with shorter yellow bill and legs, Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) (recently discovered on Halmahera) is much larger and bluer, with shorter, thicker bill and conspicuous white undertail-coverts.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Drummer Rail (Habroptila wallacii) - 9 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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