Gallinula ventralis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Nativehen sighting in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, based on 253 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 170 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Nativehen in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months. That is one of Hattah-Kulkyne National Park's wettest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 5 mm in February.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-tailed Nativehen sightings, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, under 5%) and Grampians National Park (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 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (253 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.
