Okinawa Rail

Okinawa Rail (Gallirallus okinawae) is a nearly flightless island rail with olive-brown upperparts, barred black-and-white underparts, red bill and red legs. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It inhabits dense subtropical forest on northern Okinawa, foraging on the ground for invertebrates and other small food. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).