The plain bush-hen (''Amaurornis olivacea''), also named Philippine bush-hen or simply bush-hen , is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Rallidae Rails (avian family Rallidae) are a large, Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family (biology), family of small- to medium-sized terrestrial and/or semi-amphibious birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity in its forms, and includes ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Description and taxonomy

EBird eBird is an online database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. Originally restricted to sightings from the Western Hemisphere, the project e ...

describes the bird as "A large ground bird of grass, scrub, and forest edge, usually close to water. Slate-gray on the head and underparts, blending to a brown back and tail. Note the greenish-yellow bill and the long yellow legs. Similar to Tabon Scrubfowl, but usually found near water and outside of forest, and distinguished by yellow legs, thicker bill, and lack of bare facial skin. Highly vocal and much more often heard than seen. Voice includes a rhythmic quacking and harsh rasps." It was formerly conspecific with the Pale-vented bush-hen but is differentiated by its much darker plummage. This species is monotypic

Ecology and behavior

There have been no species specific studies on its breeding and diet but it is pressumed to have the same behaviour as the Pale-vented bush-hen. Feeds on insects, mostly earthworms and larvae, small vertebrates and vegetable matter. Not much is known about breeding but has records almost throughout the year. Nests in swampy conditions with a cup shaped nest made of plant matter. Known to lay 4 creamy white eggs with red spots.

Habitat and conservation status

This species occupies swampy grassland, shrubland and forest edge. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has assessed it as a

Least-concern species A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

owing to its wide range despite being generally uncommon . It is recommended that this be reassessed to

Data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

as its ecology and population are basically unknown. Both wetlands and forests in the Philippines are at risk from deforestation and land conversion.

References

plain bush-hen Endemic birds of the Philippines plain bush-hen Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Gruiformes-stub