Water for the environment: wetlands

	Wetlands Facts about Wetlands Wetland Plants and Animals Birds   Search:  [ HOME ]		The Birds of NSW Wetlands - Rails Order - Rallidae Eleven of the sixteen species of rails known to occur in Australia, have been recorded in NSW. Baillon's Crake Australian Crake - also called the Spotted Crake or Water       Crake Spotless Crake Lewin’s Rail Buff-banded Rail Bush-hen (A vulnerable species) Black-tailed Native Hen Dusky Moorhen Eurasian Coot Purple Swamphen References and Further Reading Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla General Characteristics: Secretive and extremely shy bird. Crown black, upper body light orange-brown, off-white streaks and spots on wings, eyes are ruby red, bill is grey-green. Constructs its nest using aquatic vegetation. Has long toes that enable it to walk across aquatic plants on the water surface. A good swimmer and diver. Often confused with the Australian Crake. Nomadic – undertake seasonal south-north movements. Diet: Insects, molluscs, water plants, and seeds. Habitat: Prefers thickly vegetated freshwater habitats, tends to occupy the shallows and margins of freshwater wetlands. Only ventures into deeper water when sufficient cover is present. Distribution in NSW: Found throughout NSW. [ TOP ] Australian Crake - also called the Spotted      Crake or Water Crake Porzana fluminea General Characteristics: Endemic to Australia. Often confused with the Baillon’s Crake. Secretive and extremely shy bird. Male has olive-brown back and crown, mottled with black and white spots. Underparts are blue-grey. Bill is green with an orange-red patch at the base. Eye is deep-red. Female is similar to male, but much lighter in colour. Nest on open saucer of weeds, lined with other aquatic vegetation. Nomadic. Diet: Aquatic insects, tadpoles and aquatic plants. Habitat: Usually occupy the shallows and margins of freshwater or saline wetlands. Distribution in NSW: Found throughout most of NSW, with the exception of the far north of the state. [ TOP ] Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis General Characteristics: The most secretive and shy of the three crakes found in NSW. Is characterised by plain plumage. It has black wings, head and chest, with a dark olive brown sheen through the back. Ruby-red eye. Deep pink feet. Spends most of its time foraging and resting. Diet: Molluscs, insects and plant matter. Habitat: Prefers thickly vegetated margins of wetlands, usually staying in the shallows and margins of freshwater or saline wetlands Distribution in NSW: Found throughout most of NSW, with the exception of the far north inland areas of the State. [ TOP ] Lewin’s Rail Rallus pectoralis General Characteristics: A typically shy bird. Has a long slender bill. Probes for food in soft moist ground. Chestnut brown crown with black flecks. Dark brown back and wings with black and white flecks. Throat and breast are brown with grey flecks. Bill is red-brown with black tip. Nests among rushes and reeds made of trampled vegetation. Diet: Mainly small animals, insects, snails and worms. Habitat: Usually occupies the margins or adjacent banks of freshwater wetlands. Distribution in NSW: Mainly confined to coastal areas. [ TOP ] Buff-banded Rail Rallus philippensis General Characteristics: A typically shy bird. Has a strong stout bill. Habitat: Usually occupy the margins or adjacent banks of the freshwater wetlands. Diet: Seeds, vegetation and small animals. Distribution: Found along the coast and inland. [ TOP ] Bush-hen (A vulnerable species) Amaurornis olivaceus General Characteristics: Nomadic. Retreat to areas of permanent water during dry conditions and dispersing when it rains. Red-brown and olive crown, back and wings light brown with black and white flecks, underneath has black, brown and white flecks, breast has a rich cinnamon patch. Chin white, bill is brown and the eyes are red. Build a nest of grass or reeds. Listed as vulnerable under Schedule 2 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Sensitive to altered flow regimes and modified riparian shrub and grass cover. Diet: Seeds, soft vegetation and small animals. Habitat: Occupies heavily vegetated freshwater wetlands associated with the fringes of rainforest or wet scrub lands. Distribution in NSW: Occurs only in the coastal and sub-coastal areas of NSW. [ TOP ] Black-tailed Native Hen Gullinula ventralis General Characteristics: Endemic to Australia. Has a bantam-like shape. Is highly nomadic and an irregular breeder, moving and breeding in response to climatic conditions. Nests on the ground or just on the margins of wetlands using wetland vegetation. Prefers upland areas and often feeds away from water. Back and crown green-brown, black tail, breast and underparts are blue-grey, some white flecks on flanks. Eye is golden yellow, top of bill is bright green, bottom is red. Diet: Seeds, soft vegetation and small animals. Habitat: Occupies the margins of heavily vegetated freshwater wetlands. Distribution in NSW: Occurs in inland NSW. Tends to avoid coastal areas. Main distribution in coastal QLD. [ TOP ] Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa Source: DLWC General Characteristics: A naturally shy bird. Plumage is brown and sooty in colour. White lines on each side of the tail. Bill is red with a yellow tip. Up ends itself to feed, rather than diving. Feeds on water and on land. Sedentary and very territorial. Nest is a platform made from aquatic vegetation. Diet: Feeds below the surface on vegetable material such as Potamogeton sp and algae. Also eats fish, molluscs, insects and worms. Habitat: A common inhabitant of man-made water storages. Occupies the margins of well vegetated freshwater wetlands. Is closely associated with permanent water. Distribution in NSW: Occurs throughout NSW, both inland and coastal. [ TOP ] Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Source: Gould League General Characteristics: Is the most proficient swimmer of the rails. Slate black plumage, with white bill and frontal shield. Eye is red. More at home on water than on the land. Gathers in large flocks on open lakes. An opportunistic and typically nomadic species. Nests are usually made of loose clumps of sticks and twigs or leaves and stalks of aquatic plants. Prefers to feed in the deeper waters. Often dives to feed. Diet: Feeds primarily on vegetable material from below the surface. Habitat: Generally associated with large permanent freshwater or brackish wetlands. Often occurs together with the Dusky Moorhen. Distribution in NSW: Found throughout NSW. [ TOP ] Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio General Characteristics: The largest of the rails. Has a bantam-like shape and a massive red pincer-shaped bill. Plumage black with a dark blue chest. Eye is red. Often found with Dusky Moorhens and Coots. Build large nests using trampled down reeds. Feeds by grazing. Diet: Mainly vegetation, also seeds, fruit and insects. Habitat: Most commonly found around the thickly vegetated margins of large permanent freshwater wetlands. Distribution in NSW: Found throughout NSW, but primarily found on the coast, often absent from inland areas of NSW. [ TOP ] References and Further Reading Blackman, G. 1983. Cranes and Rails. Families: Gruidae and Rallidae. In "Wetlands in New South Wales". (Ed C. Haigh). National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW. Readers Digest. 1988. Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. Reader’s Digest, Sydney.
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