Gymnocrex plumbeiventris (G. R. Gray, 1862)

Bishop, K. David, 2023, The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 143 (1), pp. 3-62 : 26

**BARE-EYED RAIL Gymnocrex plumbeiventris

Status Unknown. Widespread in New Guinea, also North Moluccas and New Ireland (Bismarcks) but rather poorly known (Beehler & Pratt 2016; KDB). 27 May 2008: M. van Beirs (in litt. 2021) observed an adult foraging at a small pool in forest, southern Biak, carefully noting the reddish-pink bare parts. 9 July 2009: one seen in south-east Biak (Brickle & Tizard 2009). 25 September 2018: noted in the Warafri area (P. Chaon, eBird checklist S48733021). The nearest known mainland New Guinea population appears to be in the lowlands bordering Teluk Cenderawasih ( Pratt & Beehler 2015). Coates (1985) observed it to be a regular wet-season breeding migrant at Brown River, south-east Papua New Guinea. Coates’ observations together with a handful of other records ( Taylor & van Perlo 1998 ) suggest the species might be nomadic. The exceptional records on Biak may refer to wanderers or a previously undocumented resident population of an unknown taxon. That the widespread Buff-banded Rail Hypotaenidia philippensis does not occur on the Teluk Cenderawasih Islands is striking in view of its ability to colonise many, often quite isolated, islands across the south-west Pacific, but its absence is in keeping with the lack of records from any of New Guinea’s fringing islands (Beehler & Pratt 2016) but begs the question why?