Rails in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Buff-banded Rail, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Most people would never have heard of a bird called a rail, let alone know what a Buff-banded Rail looked like. This species, however, is a resident species of bird present in the Royal Botanic Gardens in the heart of Sydney. Regular visitors to the gardens would certainly be aware of this bird, even if they don’t know its name.

Buff-banded Rails are widespread in Australia in suitable habitat. They generally are not present in the drier inland regions. The field guide I use most often says they are commonly found in “well-vegetated gardens.” Botanic gardens certainly fit that requirement.

I have not seen this species all that many times so it was a delight to see this one, and it was a bonus to get a good photo. Normally I have found them to be rather secretive. I tried to photograph this species last year during a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. On that occasion the batteries in my camera went flat just minutes before seeing the bird. Aaaaaaah! Lesson learned – I always carry spare batteries since that day!