Lewinia pectoralis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
Lewin's rail (Lewinia pectoralis) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. Its common name and Latin binomial commemorate English naturalist and illustrator William Lewin. It is also known as the water rail, Lewin's water rail, Lewin's grind rail, slate-breasted rail, slate-breasted water rail, pectoral rail, pectoral water rail, short-toed rail and short-toed water rail.
Eight subspecies have been described: New Guinea Australia Lewin's rail measures 18–27 cm (7.1–10.6 in) in total length, with a wingspan of 31–35 cm (12–14 in). Females average 82 g (2.9 oz) in weight while males average 88 g (3.1 oz). In coloration, the abdomen is a barred black and white and the wings are mottled... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lewin's Rail sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 141 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 160th most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lewin's Rail in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lewin's 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Lewin's Rail sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, under 5%) and Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the Lewin's Rail that you can see in Melbourne (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Dusky Moorhen (about 60%), Eurasian Coot (about 60%) and South-west Pacific Swamphen (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lewin's Rail is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (141 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.
