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Story: Wetland birds

Auckland Island rail

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Auckland Island rail

Auckland Island rails are much smaller than banded rails, and are hard to see. They produce a variety of calls, including a loud whistled note repeated about 50 times in a 12-second period. This bird was brought as a juvenile to the Pūkaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre for observation, where it lived to the age of nine years.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10036058

by Rod Morris

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How to cite this page

Christina Troup, Wetland birds – Rails and crakes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14655/auckland-island-rail (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Christina Troup, published 1 March 2009.