Gallinula ventralis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 68th most-seen of the 94 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Nativehen in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to October, the lowest months.
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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-tailed Nativehen sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-tailed Nativehen is recorded against all the birds logged in Fiordland National Park (59 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
