Isabelline bush-hen

The isabelline bush-hen, also known as Sulawesi waterhen or isabelline waterhen, is a large, up to 40 cm long, rufous and brown rail. The term isabelline refers to the colouration. It is the largest member of the genus Amaurornis. Both sexes are similar with olive brown plumage, pale green bill, greenish brown legs and rufous below.

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Distribution

Region

Wallacea (Sulawesi, Indonesia)

Typical Environment

Found across Sulawesi and some adjacent satellite islands where dense low vegetation meets water. It inhabits swamps, marsh edges, overgrown ditches, rice fields, forest streams, and secondary thickets. The species favors tangled undergrowth and tall grasses that provide cover for foraging and nesting. It will use disturbed habitats, provided there is thick cover and nearby shallow water.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size35–40 cm

Wing Span50–60 cm

Male Weight0.35 kg

Female Weight0.32 kg

Life Expectancy7 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

This skulking rail is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is the largest member of the genus Amaurornis. The name “isabelline” refers to its warm rufous-buff coloration. It is far more often heard than seen, giving loud, carrying calls from dense cover. Despite its secretive nature, it tolerates modified landscapes such as rice paddies and village wetlands.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

skulking and wary

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier that prefers to run into cover

Social Behavior

Usually encountered singly or in pairs, remaining concealed in dense grass and reedbeds. Nests are placed low in thick vegetation near water, with both sexes likely involved in incubation and chick care. Territorial calls are given most often at dawn and dusk during the breeding season.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Vocalizations are loud and abrupt, including series of harsh croaks and kek-kek notes that carry through thickets. Calls often come from deep cover and may be given antiphonally by a pair.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Isabelline shrike

The isabelline shrike or Daurian shrike is a member of the shrike family (Laniidae). It was previously considered conspecific with the red-backed shrike and red-tailed shrike. It is found in an extensive area between the Caspian Sea and north and central China southeast to the Qaidam Basin. Overwinters in Africa and Arabia.

Isabelline wheatear

The isabelline wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae. It is a migratory insectivorous bird. Its habitat is steppe and open countryside and it breeds in southern Russia and Central Asia to northern Pakistan, wintering in Africa and northwestern India. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Island bronze-naped pigeon

The island bronze-naped pigeon, also known as the São Tomé bronze-naped pigeon or São Tomé pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is endemic to the Gulf of Guinea, where it is found on the islands of São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón. It inhabits rainforest, secondary forests, and plantations at elevations of up to 1,668 m (5,472 ft), although it is more common at lower elevations. A small, darkish pigeon, it has a total length of 28 cm (11 in). Adult males have slate-grey heads and upper backs, blackish-grey wings, backs, and tails, buffy-white throats, ashy-grey breasts and bellies, and rufous vents. The back of the neck and upper back are glossy pink or green, while the wings have a green tinge to them. Females are similar, but have browner undersides, duller and less glossy upperparts, and more rusty-orange outer tail feathers.

Island imperial pigeon

The island imperial pigeon or floury imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands archipelago, living in primary and secondary forests and mangroves. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a least-concern species.