Identification
Small rail with rusty-red to rusty-brown crown, sides of head, and neck. Note the long, slim red bill. Confined to Adams and Disappointment islands in the Auckland Islands only. Very secretive, often hiding among thick vegetation. Voice is the best indication of its presence: a loud “kek-kek-kek” call. The only similar local species is Subantarctic Snipe; Auckland Islands Rail has a shorter bill and an unpatterned head, and does not readily flush when disturbed.