Talaud Bush-hen

The Talaud bush-hen is a large, robust rail, 30.5 cm long, described scientifically from Karakelang in Indonesia’s Talaud Islands. Its large head and upperparts are dark brown, while the underparts and flanks are an even darker bluish grey. A thick pale-green bill and yellow legs, shading olive on their rear surfaces, provide the strongest colour contrasts. The species is geographically restricted and was only recently distinguished and named (Wikipedia general species account).

This shy bush-hen occupies forest, scrub and plantations that have become densely overgrown. Its only confirmed vocalisation in the account opened is a sequence of loud, low croaking barks; suggestions that it also gives the shrieks typical of other bush-hens remain inference and are not presented as established here. The source provides no verified diet, nesting behaviour, clutch size or incubation period, so those details remain omitted rather than transferred from better-known Amaurornis (Wikipedia general species account).