Buff-banded Rail, MARTIN PLACE, Sydney

[Carl Clifford <>]

Buff-banded Rails are a bit more common in urban environments than  
many people recognise. I used to regularly see one wandering around  
the entrance of Dubbo, NSW airport of an evening. It appeared to be  
not at all put off by the comings and goings of vehicles. It was  
particularly active in the Bogong moth season.
I have also been watching for several years, a pair that hang out at  
the end of Lakeview Ave, Gorokan, on the NSW Central Coast. Their  
territory is where the street meets the shore of Tuggerah Lake and is  
a popular spot for people to lunch in their cars. The BBRs happily  
compete with the gulls for the scraps. It is amazing how they have  
survived the Council's efforts to "clean up" the area by slashing  
down the lake-edge vegetation. After a particularly vigourous "clean  
up" recently, which looked more like a US Army de-vegetation in the  
Vietnam war, I thought " ah well. that"s it for the BBRs". I was  
amazed to find the little blighters were back a couple of weeks  
later. They are a very tough little bird and I would not be surprised  
to see them in Martin Place.
Cheers,

Carl Clifford