Pale-vented bush-hen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pale-vented bush-hen |
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| Conservation status | |
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Amaurornis
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| Species: |
moluccana
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The Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) is a medium-sized waterbird. It has a blue-grey body with a light brown or reddish-brown patch under its tail. You can find this bird in places like Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It usually lives in warm, wet forests near water.
Contents
What Does the Bush-hen Look Like?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is a medium-sized bird. It is about 25 to 30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches) long. Its wings are about 14 to 15.5 centimeters long. This bird weighs between 150 and 210 grams.
Its body is a dull gray-blue color. Its wings and tail are brown. The special "pale vent" part under its tail can be buff, reddish-brown, or rufous-brown. This is how it got its name!
Its Beak and Legs
The beak of the Pale-vented Bush-hen is very special. When it is time to breed, the beak is lime green. It also has a bright orange-red shield on its forehead. When it is not breeding, the beak is a duller green with no red shield. Its legs are olive-yellow, and its eyes are dark.
Boy and girl bush-hens look the same. Young bush-hens are usually a lighter color than the adults.
Where Does the Bush-hen Live?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is a shy and secret bird. It is best to see it early in the morning, at dusk, or on cloudy days. It likes to hide in thick, low plants near rivers, streams, or wetlands. You might hear its loud calls, which sound like clucks, clicks, shrieks, or wails.
This bird lives in many places. These include Australia, the Moluccan Islands, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. In Australia, you can find it mostly along the coast. It lives from the northern parts of the Northern Territory down through eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales. It is not as common in the far north of the Northern Territory or in Western Australia.
What About Its Name?
The Pale-vented Bush-hen belongs to the Rallidae family. This family includes other birds like crakes and rails. The name Amaurornis comes from ancient Greek words. Amauros means "dark" or "shadowy," and ornis means "bird."
The full scientific name, Amaurornis moluccana, means "Moluccan dark and shadowy bird." This is because it was first found in the Moluccan Islands in Indonesia. The name "pale-vented" started being used in the late 1990s. This was to help tell it apart from the Plain bush-hen, which lives in the Philippines.
In Australia, people often just call it "Bush-hen." It has also been known by other names like Rufous-tailed Rail or Brown Rail.
Protecting the Bush-hen
The Pale-vented Bush-hen is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing around the world. However, its status can be different in certain areas. For example, in New South Wales, it is listed as "Vulnerable." In the Northern Territory, it is "Near Threatened." In Queensland, it is still "Least Concern."
See also
In Spanish: Gallineta moluqueña para niños
