Austral Rail
Rallus antarcticus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
- GenusRallus (Typical Rails)
- SpeciesRallus antarcticus (Austral Rail)
About the Austral Rail
The austral rail (Rallus antarcticus) is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina and Chile. Some authors have considered the austral rail as conspecific with the Virginia rail (R. limicola) but their treatment has not been widely accepted. The species is monotypic.
The austral rail is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long. Adults have dull brown upperparts with buff-edged black centers to the back feathers. Their face and throat are gray, their breast olive brown, and their flanks barred with black and white. Juveniles are similar with the addition of sooty tips on the breast feathers and a white throat.
The austral rail is patchily distributed in southern Chile's Magallanes Region and in southern Argentina between the departments of Río Negro and Santa Cruz. It formerly occurred as far north as Santiago, Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. It has also been recorded as a vagrant on the Falkland Islands. It is found mostly near the coast where it inhabits wet fields and meadows, rushy lake shores, and reedbeds. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Austral Rail in Torres del Paine National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Torres del Paine National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Austral Rail in Torres del Paine National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Austral Rail sighting in Torres del Paine National Park, based on 147 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Austral Rail in Torres del Paine National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Austral Rail in Torres del Paine National Park in our monthly data.