The banded rail is a cryptic, ground-dwelling bird that inhabits wetlands and estuaries. It is found throughout the North Island and in parts of the South Island. Banded rails are distributed throughout the Pacific and South-East Asia, with populations in Indonesia, the Philippines, Melanesia, Australia, New Zealand, and Niue. It is thought that 80-90% of the New Zealand population inhabits estuaries, feeding on snails, crabs, insects, worms, spiders, seeds, and fruit. The estuarine habitats they inhabit are prone to pollution and habitat
loss. Banded rails are also predated on by mammalian predators.

(Information adapted from New Zealand Birds Online)