Slaty-breasted Rail

Slaty-breasted Rail

Gallirallus striatus

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) and HuttyMcphoo (photography) · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Singapore

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

584 Verified sightings at Singapore
77 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Slaty-breasted Rail

The slaty-breasted rail (Lewinia striata) is a rail species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Despite traditionally being considered part of Gallirallus, recent genetic studies have consistently placed it in the genus Lewinia, which is now formally recognized by the IUCN and IOC.

L. s. paraterma The slaty-breasted rail is mostly found in wetlands, up to elevations of typically 1,000 m (3,300 ft), but also up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and 1,850 m (6,070 ft) in Sri Lanka. A medium sized rail, it measures 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in length and weighs 100–142 g (3.5–5.0 oz). In coloration, the slaty-breasted rail has a chestnut crown and nape, a blue-grey breast, and a long, reddish bill. Breeding season can vary by location. It lays 5–9 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 19–22 days. Chicks can leave the nest soon after hatching, they are fed and cared for by their parents.

It feeds on worms, molluscs, crustaceans, and the seeds of marsh plants. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:11

China · 2023

© Lucas liu · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:12

China · 2024

© 大鹅Goose · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
2 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Fuzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
<5%
3 Tamluk 🇮🇳 India
<5%
4 Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 Cambodia
<5%
5 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
6 Kolkata 🇮🇳 India
<5%
7 Vasai-Virar 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Kozhikode 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Parco Natura Viva 🇮🇹 Italy In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Slaty-breasted Rail in Singapore?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-breasted Rail sighting in Singapore on a given day, based on 584 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 91st most-seen of the 298 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Slaty-breasted Rail in Singapore?

March–April and August–September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-breasted Rail in Singapore on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and October–February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Slaty-breasted Rail?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Slaty-breasted Rail sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Singapore the best place to see a Slaty-breasted Rail?

2nd of 15

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Slaty-breasted Rail sightings, Singapore ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Fuzhou (China, about 10%).

Where does the Slaty-breasted Rail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Slaty-breasted Rail is recorded against all the birds logged in Singapore (584 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.

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