The bare-eyed rail is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Region
New Guinea and western Papuan region
Typical Environment
Occurs in New Guinea and adjacent Indonesian Papua, inhabiting dense lowland and hill forests. It favors damp forest floor habitats, including stream edges, swampy thickets, and secondary growth with heavy ground cover. The species uses narrow animal trails and tangles of roots and vines, where it forages in leaf litter. It can also range into montane forest where undergrowth remains thick, provided there is nearby water and cover.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A secretive forest rail, it is more often heard than seen, slipping through dense understory and along stream margins. The conspicuous bare skin around the eye may aid in signaling in the dim forest interior. It usually prefers to run rather than fly, bursting into short low flights only when pressed. Vocal activity often increases at dawn, dusk, and after rain.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier, usually stays low
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, moving quietly along the forest floor. Nests are placed close to ground in dense cover; both parents likely share incubation and chick-rearing as in many rails. Territorial calls are given from concealed perches or from the ground.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls are a series of grunts, harsh squeals, and repeated whistles that carry through dense vegetation. Vocalizations are given most often at dawn and dusk and can be surprisingly loud for a small rail.
Plumage
Upperparts dark brown to olive-brown with a contrasting slate- to lead-grey head, breast, and belly; feathers appear smooth and unbarred, giving a clean, uniform look below.
Diet
Feeds on insects, spiders, earthworms, and small snails, gleaned from leaf litter and damp soil. It also takes small amphibians when available and supplements its diet with seeds and fallen fruits. Foraging is methodical, with probing of soft substrates and flipping of leaves.
Preferred Environment
Most often forages on the shaded forest floor, especially along streams, swamp edges, and in tangles of vines. It uses dense cover to remain concealed while searching for prey.
