For birds that like to skulk in the long grass, buff-banded rails have a wide distribution. They occur in SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand and islands of the SW Pacific.
I've seen them on a few occasions. They're not so much shy as reserved. They lurk among the overgrown vegetation but every now and then, their unassuming behaviour is punctuated by a burst of scurrying. They'd rather hide than be on the cat-walk.
I photographed these two birds in a walk-through aviary at Serendip Sanctuary. They don't have rings so I'm not sure about their status.
Just in case I haven't said it enough, I love my camera. Now it's a matter of reading the manual and getting out and about.
