Luzon Rail Lewinia mirifica Scientific name definitions

20–23 cm. Sexes alike. Differs from L. pectoralis in absence of black streaks on less brightly coloured head and hindneck , whiter throat and lack of prominent barring on upperwings. Distinguished from sympatric Gallirallus species by smaller size, and by relative extent of pale markings on upperparts and barring on underparts; from sympatric Zapornia species by longer bill, rufous crown and nape, and pattern of upperparts. Immature duller than adult: dark greyish brown on crown and hindneck, and greyer on cheeks and upper breast; bill darker than that of adult. Juvenile undescribed.

Luzon, in N Philippines.

Precise habitat unknown, but species recorded from wet grassy areas; unlike congeners, may have strict ecological requirements. Older (20th century) records are from mountain foothills, with migrating birds being recorded at altitude of c. 1000 m. Five more recent specimens are from 1080 m, 1413 m, 2530 m and 2690 m (two specimens) with a (contested (1 Allen, D. (2010). Brown-banded Rail Lewinia mirifica at Dalton Pass, Philippines. BirdingASIA. 13: 43–48. Close ) ) photograph from 2240 m (2 Dinets, V. (2001). Ornithological records from Luzon during January–February 21481481, including a description of the voice of Luzon Rail Lewinia mirificus. Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club 34: 40–41. Close ).

In 1965–1970, total of 191 birds ringed at Dalton Pass in May–Jun and Oct–Dec, apparently while undertaking post-breeding dispersal or intra-island migration, the latter possibly between Cagayan Valley and Central Plain or between Sierra Madre and Cordillera Central. Also recorded elsewhere in mountain foothills in Dec–Jan.

Presumed contact calls  are very short squeaks, lasting 0·15–0·30 seconds and starting and stopping quite abruptly (1 Allen, D. (2010). Brown-banded Rail Lewinia mirifica at Dalton Pass, Philippines. BirdingASIA. 13: 43–48. Close ). No other information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Data Deficient. Restricted-range species: present in Luzon EBA. Recorded only from Luzon, where known from records of migrating birds at Dalton Pass in Sierra Madre Mts, and from at least six other localities in Nueva Écija, Nueva Vizcaya, Camarines Norte, Benguet and Mountain Provinces. Described as uncommon, but secretive habits may obscure true status; the significant numbers formerly trapped on migration suggest that the species may have been more numerous. Nevertheless, paucity of known localities, and scarcity of records in last few decades, have been interpreted as evidence that the species is becoming increasingly rare. Post-1972 records include one found dead at the roadside in Baguio in 1979 (3 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ), an unspecified number between Bamban and Camp O’Donnell in Jun 1993 (3 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ), one photographed on Mt Data in Jan 2001 (2 Dinets, V. (2001). Ornithological records from Luzon during January–February 21481481, including a description of the voice of Luzon Rail Lewinia mirificus. Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club 34: 40–41. Close ) (although the photograph has been questioned (1 Allen, D. (2010). Brown-banded Rail Lewinia mirifica at Dalton Pass, Philippines. BirdingASIA. 13: 43–48. Close ) ), one specimen from Mt Labo in May 2006, three from Mt Amnyao in Mar 2007 and one near Mt Pinatubo, Mar 2012 (1 Allen, D. (2010). Brown-banded Rail Lewinia mirifica at Dalton Pass, Philippines. BirdingASIA. 13: 43–48. Close ). In Nov 2009, 10 individuals were recorded as they were caught by bird-trappers at Dalton Pass (1 Allen, D. (2010). Brown-banded Rail Lewinia mirifica at Dalton Pass, Philippines. BirdingASIA. 13: 43–48. Close ). The only known threat is hunting, but its effects have not been quantified. Listed as Endangered until 2000, there are few recent records and almost nothing known of its distribution, population, ecology and threats, thus an assessment of its threat status is currently not possible BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Lewinia mirifica. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/10/2015. .