The buff-banded Rail is mainly brown with a tightly banded black and white chest from which is gets its name. They tend to be secretive birds, scuttling under the brush at any sign of danger. However they can become quite tame and bold in the right circumstances, and are sometimes allowed free reign of gardens and resorts. The birds do not travel in big groups; they are usually seen alone or in pairs. The banded rail birds create cup shaped nests which they hide in dense grass. Newly hatched birds stay with their parents for two months until they are evicted from the territory.