Gallinula ventralis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The black-tailed nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) is a rail native to Australia. The black-tailed nativehen is a large dark bird, reaching about 38 cm in length and weighing around 400 g (0.88 lb). This species possesses an erect tail and is endowed almost entirely with brownish-grey and green feathers. Its long legs and lower jaw are a striking pink-orange colour, as well as its eyes which are more of a bright orange colour. This species is not excessively vocal, its main call is an alarm 'kak' sound. They become noticeable when they are seen in small flocks on the ground. Their erect tails and social behaviour are reminiscent of domestic hens.
This species is nomadic, following seasonal water sources. It is found year-round living near fresh and brackish water. The black-tailed nativehen is common throughout Australia, where it lives by permanent as well as intermittent water sources. It has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000–10,000,000 km2. It is classified as Least Concern by IUCN. It is a rare vagrant to New Zealand, and occasional to Tasmania.
Breeding generally takes place... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Nativehen sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 307 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 140th most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Nativehen in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-tailed Nativehen sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Black-tailed Nativehen sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-tailed Nativehen is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (307 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.
