About Gallirallus okinawae (Yamashina & Mano, 1981)
This species, Okinawa rail, is approximately 30 cm long, with a 50 cm wingspan, and an average weight of around 435 g. It is almost flightless, with very short wings and tail. It has a large, bright red bill that has a whitish tip. Its long, strong legs are red, and this red color also extends to its iris and eye-ring. Its upperparts are olive-brown, while its underparts are black with narrow white bars. The face is black, with a white spot between the bill and eye, and a white line behind the eye that extends back to the side of the neck. The undertail-coverts are dark brown with pale bars. Juvenile birds are paler than adults. Instead of the barred underparts seen in adults, juveniles have white mottling on their underparts. The pre-eye spot has a brown tinge, and the post-eye stripe is shorter than that of an adult. Juveniles have brownish bills and irises, and yellow-ochre legs and feet. This is a noisy bird that produces a variety of loud calls. It calls most frequently during the early and late parts of the day, usually calling from the ground, and sometimes calling from trees. Pairs often call together, and up to 12 birds have been heard calling in the same area. It is found exclusively in Yanbaru, the northern region of Okinawa Island, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan; this location gives the species its Japanese name. Its entire total range covers only 260 km². It occurs from sea level up to the area's highest mountains, at 498 m above sea level. In winter, some individuals move to lower elevations, or shift a small distance further south outside their breeding range. It mainly lives in evergreen broad-leaved forest, but also occurs in marshes, grassland, and cultivated land near forested areas and water. Itaji (Castanopsis sieboldii) is the dominant tree species in this rail's habitat, but the bird also lives among other tree species such as Ryukyu Pine (Pinus luchuensis). It requires both dense ground vegetation and standing water for bathing.
