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invisible rail

n. ''Habroptila wallacii'', a flightless bird from the family Rallidae, endemic to parts of Indonesia.

Wikipedia
Invisible rail

The invisible rail, Wallace's rail, or drummer rail (Habroptila wallacii) is a large flightless rail that is endemic to the island of Halmahera in North Maluku, Indonesia, where it inhabits impenetrable sago swamps adjacent to forests. Its plumage is predominantly dark slate-grey, and the bare skin around its eyes, the long, thick bill, and the legs are all bright red. Its call is a low drumming sound which is accompanied by wing-beating. The difficulty of seeing this shy bird in its dense habitat means that information on its behaviour is limited.

Recorded dietary items include sago shoots and insects, and it also swallows small stones to help break up its food. It is apparently monogamous, but little else is known of its courtship behaviour. The only known nest was a shallow bowl in the top of a rotting tree stump that was lined with wood chips and dry leaves. The two young chicks were entirely covered in black down typical of precocial newly hatched rails. The estimated population of 3,500–15,000 birds and the restricted range mean that the invisible rail is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat loss has occurred through the harvesting of sago and conversion of the wetlands to rice cultivation, and the rail is eaten by local people. The described nest was in an area frequented by local villagers, so the rail may be more adaptable to habitat changes than had been thought.

Usage examples of "invisible rail".

Then it blew out such a stiff gust of chill wind that Cube had to grab on to the invisible rail to keep her place.

They were standing, evidently holding on to a similarly invisible rail around its edge.

She knew it was correct, with an absolute certainty that admitted no doubt, and Fearless rode the invisible rail shed nailed down in space as her speed mounted by almost three kilometers per second with every second that passed.

The walls blurred, corners and tunnel intersections raced at them and were gone yet the vehicle still hung an inch from the roof as if glued to an invisible rail.