Auckland rail

The Auckland rail, also known as the Auckland Island rail or Auckland Islands rail is a small nearly flightless rail endemic to the Auckland Islands 460 km south of New Zealand. It is somewhat of a biogeographical anomaly, being the only species in the genus Lewinia to have reached the islands of New Zealand, skipping over the main islands to reach the remote Auckland islands group. Its closest relative is Lewin's rail of Australia. The species is currently restricted to two islands in the Auckland islands group, Adams Island and Disappointment Island.

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Distribution

Region

New Zealand Subantarctic Islands

Typical Environment

Restricted to Adams Island and Disappointment Island within the Auckland Islands group. It occupies dense tussock grasslands, megaherb fields, sedgelands, and low scrub, favoring thick ground cover for concealment. Birds also use damp gullies, fern thickets, and coastal margins with drift lines rich in invertebrates. The species avoids open terrain, moving along runways in vegetation and using cover for nesting and foraging.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 700 m

Climate Zone

Temperate

Characteristics

Size18–22 cm

Wing Span28–34 cm

Male Weight0.09 kg

Female Weight0.08 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The Auckland rail is a near-flightless rail confined to the predator-free Adams and Disappointment Islands of the Auckland Islands group, south of New Zealand. It likely colonized from Australia, with its closest relative being Lewin's rail. It is extremely secretive, keeping to dense vegetation and rarely flying, instead running swiftly through cover. Its survival hinges on the continued absence of introduced predators on its remaining islands.

Gallery

Auckland rail chick, taken with trail camera on Adams Island in 2024.

Behaviour

Temperament

secretive and wary

Flight Pattern

reluctant flier; short, low bursts when flushed

Social Behavior

Typically seen singly or in pairs, forming territorial breeding pairs in dense vegetation. Nests are concealed on the ground under thick cover, with both adults likely involved in incubation and chick care. Clutches are small and the young are precocial, following adults soon after hatching.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Vocalizations include soft squeaks, grunts, and repeated piping notes, often delivered from cover. Calling peaks at dusk and dawn and serves to maintain contact between mates and advertise territories.

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Identification

Leg Colorpinkish-brown

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Dark brown upperparts with fine black streaking, slate-grey face and throat, and warm brown underparts with boldly barred black-and-white flanks. Wings are short and rounded, and the tail is stubby. Overall appearance is cryptic and well-suited to dense cover.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds on a variety of invertebrates such as insects, amphipods, isopods, and worms, gleaned from leaf litter and coastal wrack lines. It also takes small amounts of plant material, including seeds and tender shoots, especially when invertebrates are scarce. Foraging is deliberate and mostly on foot, probing and picking in dense cover.

Preferred Environment

Forages in dense tussock and megaherb stands, along moist gullies, and around sheltered coastal edges where drift material accumulates. It avoids open areas, remaining close to cover for quick escape.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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