Reddish chesnut plumage of male makes confusion possible only with very similar but allopatric male i, which is darker, with distinct narrow black bars on tail. Female has black and UpW black with small buff spots, resembles females of R.forbesi and R.mayri but has spotted upper mantle and lacks blackish barring on UnP. Subadult male has grey base to black bill, and dark wine-brown legs and feet, juvenile not described. Voice: sharp “krill” or “keow” often repeated many times, sometimes more squeaky. Duetting recorded, when calls may be more rapid and sharper, “kee” or “kek”.
Not Threatened.
Reddish chesnut plumage of male makes confusion possible only with very similar but allopatric male i, which is darker, with distinct narrow black bars on tail. Female has black and UpW black with small buff spots, resembles females of R.forbesi and R.mayri but has spotted upper mantle and lacks blackish barring on UnP. Subadult male has grey base to black bill, and dark wine-brown legs and feet, juvenile not described. Voice: sharp “krill” or “keow” often repeated many times, sometimes more squeaky. Duetting recorded, when calls may be more rapid and sharper, “kee” or “kek”.
18-23 cm, smallest Rallina.
Taxonomy:
- Rallicula rubra Schlegel, 1871, northern peninsula of New Guinea. The four Rallina species of New Guinea show marked sexual dimorphism and therefore sometimes retained in Rallicula. Possible race subrubra merged with klossi because of overlapping measurements and lack of significant colour differences. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * rubra (Schlegel, 1871) - W New Guinea, in Arfak Mts. * klossi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1913) - WC New Guinea, from Weyland Mts to Oranje Mts. * telefolminensis (Gilliard, 1961) - C New Guinea, in Victor Emmanuel and Hindenburg Mts and Tari
Floor of montane forest interior, at 1500-3050 m. FOOD: No info.
No info.
Lays Oct-Nov, and either Aug or Sept, at end of period of highest rainfall. Apparently monogamous. Possibly co-operative breeding. Nest a large domed structure of moss, grass, leaf skeleton, fibres and ferm fronds, lined with fine fibres, rootlets. Nest typically placed c. 2 m up between fron bases in Pandanus palm. Lay 1 egg only, incubation at least 34 days, performed by both sexes, egg often left to become cold. Chicks