Strange rail of Indonesia (1 Viewer)

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PP Evrard

New member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #1

Hello,
I take this picture some weeks ago (the 21th august 2010) on the small island of Pantar, Lesser Sundas (near Alor, north of Timor, Indonesia).
I saw this Rail twice in the same place, leaving a grassy area close to the sea for food at the morning.
Buff-banded Rail (Gallinula philippensis) seems the only possible species but the legs are yellow, the beak is thick,short and also yellow. In addition, chesnut is not visible on the flight feathers; the facial pattern is almost nonexistent; the black bars are not very marked on the sides; the iris is white etc.
Finally, it's hard for me to admit that it can be the Buff-banded Rail but I really do not see how it could be another species.
Thank you in advance for any advice on this Rail.
Pierre-Paul Evrard

 

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Chlidonias

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #2

hi this is a barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator powelli)

 

petemorris

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #3

Barred Buttonquail for sure - not a rail.

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Oct 10, 2010

• #4

I'm not great with perched Indonesian buttonquails, but is this definitely a Barred and not a Red-backed?

James

 

petemorris

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #5

Surely the massive bill and copious barring would be wrong for Red-backed James.

Pete

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Oct 10, 2010

• #6

petemorris said:

Surely the massive bill and copious barring would be wrong for Red-backed James.

Pete

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To be honest Pete, I've never had a good view of Red-backed as I've only been in contact with them twice in Indonesia. What strikes me is the pale underparts, particularly flanks and belly - also mantle isn't particularly well barred, hint of rufous on the nape and also wholly yellow bill...

James

 

lewis20126

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #7

The yellow bill seems characteristic of at least some Indonesian forms of Barred (contra grey in India-Malaysia), e.g.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=15&Bird_ID=226&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

So Barred for me;

cheers, alan

 

petemorris

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2010

• #8

James Eaton said:

To be honest Pete, I've never had a good view of Red-backed......
James

Click to expand...

I think that in itself is good a clue to this one. Barred often expose themselves so to speak, whilst Red-backed tend to lurk in long grass and only show on the end of a size 10!

Cheers

Pete B

 

P

PP Evrard

New member

• Oct 11, 2010

• #9

I never thought of a buttonquail, particularly because of the attitude always very erect of this bird and the yellow beak .
The drawing in "A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali" is also quite far from reality.
For Pantar, it must be the race "powelli" of the Barred Buttonquail(http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/barred-buttonquail-turnix-suscitator).
Thank you for your help.

 

Chlidonias

Well-known member

• Oct 12, 2010

• #10

the barred buttonquail subspecies of the Greater Sundas is quite different in appearance to those of the Lesser Sundas, hence the pictures in the Borneo Sumatra Java guide looking totally unlike the one in your photo (also the drawings in that guide aren't always the best for ID...)

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Oct 18, 2010

• #11

petemorris said:

I think that in itself is good a clue to this one. Barred often expose themselves so to speak, whilst Red-backed tend to lurk in long grass and only show on the end of a size 10!

Cheers

Pete B

Click to expand...

Interesting, cheers for that! Always something I'm well aware of being confined to Asia - not being so familiar with the species that are predominately extralimital.
On my last Lesser Sundas tour I managed 3 embarrassing ticks - all of which were not new for any one else, at least they were easy enough to id - imm Swamp Harrier, Grey Teal, and dare I say, Australian Pelican!! :eek!:

cheers,

James