A native New Zealand bird that's rarely seen — Written by Te Korowai o Waiheke Team Member

There have been many rewards from the years of dedicated predator control on Waiheke. Some are raucous, seen soaring and screeching all over the island, but one, in particular, has quietly moved into people's backyards.

Banded rails are rarely seen, in fact, you could almost mistake them for a good-sized rat if it wasn’t for their pointed tail flicking with every step. I was treated to my first Waiheke rail sighting recently while enjoying lunch in Kuakarau Bay, he hopped from the grassy bank down onto the shoreline. His chest dabbled with white and grey, the white streak above his eye framed by the rufous plumage on the nape of his neck. The midday sunshine made him glow against the sand, dawdling along with the odd tail flick as he hunts for a tasty morsel.

Also known as moho pererū, the banded rail is a secretive and well-camouflaged wetland bird. They’re known to frequent coastal areas and mangroves where there is an abundance of worms, crabs and little insects to chase after. It’s not uncommon to see them scraping around in the garden for any available fruit scraps if you’re lucky!

With rails, it seems that sitting still deems you invisible to the curious wee birds. I have been witness to this from my family batch on Aotea where rails are a common visitor. From the floor, I watch through the glass at what seems to be the ultimate birding standoff. Like Capulets and Montagues, two families of rails eyeball each other from either side of the deck, with little black fluff balls hanging in the safety of the long grass. Their target, the bowl of dog biscuits, right in the middle. Capulet makes a move, taking a cautious step upwards onto the wood. Montague squawks his disapproval and makes a run at his rival, who within a second has high-tailed it back to the long grass. With his competition sulking from the sideline, Montague makes a dash for the bikkies. His efforts are rewarded with a single piece of soggy kibble and his little family squabbles happily over their meal. As he turns to face the battlefield again, it seems Capulet has taken this as an opportunity to stuff his face with as many dog biscuits as possible. But before he’s able to run back to his family, Montague is there hanging off his tail feathers, the beginning of an almighty scrap! After a few moments of angry squawking and claw-on-claw combat, Capulet retreats back to the long grass. With plenty of sandhoppers on the shoreline, they escape to the beach for a meal instead. Sometimes family dramas are too much, even for our manu.

- Written and captured by Field Team Technician Charlie Thomas