Gallirallus torquatus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) and HuttyMcphoo (photography) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The barred rail (Gallirallus torquatus) is a species of rail found across the Philippines, Sulawesi (Indonesia) and Salawati (western New Guinea). The species is common, but shy and difficult to see. The species was formerly sometimes placed in the genus Hypotaenidia.
This rail is 32–35 cm (13–14 in) in length, and weighs 241–300 g (8.5–10.6 oz). Wake Island rail (an extinct rail of Pacific, that only lived on Wake island) A Guide to the birds of the philippines(2000) Robert S. Kennedy pedro C. Gonzales, Edward C, Dickinson Hector C. Miranda, jr. & Timothy H. Fisher
Media related to Gallirallus torquatus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Gallirallus torquatus at Wikispecies Wikipedia →
Recording0:05
Philippines · 2026
© Wilhelm Joshua Tan · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:20
Philippines · 2025
© ika000 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cebu City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 2 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 3 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 4 | Makassar | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Rail sighting in Cebu City on a given day, based on 111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 82 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and December–January
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Rail in Cebu City on a given day, against about 30% in February and October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Barred Rail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Barred Rail sightings, Cebu City has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Davao City (Philippines, about 30%) and Manila (Philippines, about 30%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the Barred Rail that you can see in Cebu City (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Common Moorhen (about 10%), White-browed Crake (about 10%) and White-breasted Waterhen (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Barred Rail is recorded against all the birds logged in Cebu City (111 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
