We were on a 9 days Ranau bird trip We have planned to try out Penampang Padifield on our last day in Sabah for the "Strawberry Finch". While we were shooting at Gunung Alab we were fortunate to meet many fellow birders who give many insights and bird sightings. I personally like to thank CM for his tip off for this rare sighting and photo shot of Buff Banded Rail. This lifer make up for the target bird which they say have to catch them in the early morning session and not at 10 am onwards.
Penampang Padifield unlike Sg Balang or Batang Tiga is a chunk of open field without accessibility of grid laterite roads. Birds can stay put 100 metres away from you with least of concern. To shoot birds here you need anything shorter than 800mm with TC you will be in big trouble to get your lifer. Fortunately, I brought my Nikon P1000 with a 3000mm telezoom. Though we did not manage a full body open shot we were happy as beggar cannot demand.
From my observation its looks like the Water Rail in Craig Robson's. From its scientific name "Hypotaenidia philippensis" it is likely a visitor from Filipina
It is a largely terrestrial bird the size of a small domestic chicken, with mainly brown upperparts, finely banded black and white underparts, a white eyebrow, chestnut band running from the bill round the nape, with a buff band on the breast. It utilises a range of moist or wetland habitats with low, dense vegetation for cover. It is usually quite shy but may become very tame and bold in some circumstances, such as in island resorts within the Great Barrier Reef region.
The buff-banded rail is an omnivorous scavenger which feeds on a range of terrestrial invertebrates and small vertebrates, seeds, fallen fruit and other vegetable matter, as well as carrion and refuse. Its nest is usually situated in dense grassy or reedy vegetation close to water, with a clutch size of 3–4. (Extract from Wiki)
Photo by Subki in Tawau 2022
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