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Lewin's Rail - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Ken Doy
Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Queensland, Australia, March 2014

Includes: Flores Rail

Lewinia pectoralis

Identification

18–27 cm

Distribution

A detailed Map of the Lewin's Rail Australian Range. Map by Nrg800

Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Taxonomy

Reference [2] notes that subspecies exsul may warrant specific status since its plumage is different to other forms. If so, it suggests the name "Flores Rail" (presumably L. exsul). It was last recorded in 1959.

Brown-banded Rail (Lewinia mirifica) was formerly lumped within Lewin's Rail.

Subspecies

Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:

  • L. p. exsul: Known from 4 specimens from w Flores I. (Lesser Sundas)
  • L. p. mayri: W New Guinea (Arfak and Weyland mountains)
  • L. p. capta: Central Highlands of New Guinea
  • L. p. insulsa: E New Guinea (Herzog Mountains)
  • L. p. alberti: Mountains of s-central Papua New Guinea
  • L. p. clelandi: Extinct; SW Australia.
  • L. p. pectoralis: Coastal e Queensland to Victoria and South Australia
  • L. p. brachipus: Tasmania

Habitat

Salty and freshwater wetlands.

Behaviour

Diet

A varied diet, consisting of vegetation, worms, molluscs, occasionally bird eggs and frogs.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Eaton, JA, B van Balen, NW Brickle, FE Rheindt 2021. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago (Greater Sundas and Wallacea), Second Edition. Lynx Editions. ISBN978-84-16728-44-2

Recommended Citation

External Links

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