Lewinia pectoralis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
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 Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 135th most-seen of the 175 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.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lewin's Rail in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Lewin's Rail sightings, Great Otway National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Royal National Park (Australia, under 5%) and Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the Lewin's Rail that you can see in Great Otway National Park (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are South-west Pacific Swamphen (about 20%), Eurasian Coot (about 10%) and Dusky Moorhen (about 10%), 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 Great Otway National Park (38 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.
