This flightless rail occurs in the Solomon Islands. Birds on Guadalcanal have a grey head and dark bill, and use swamp forest and tall grassy cover.
On Guadalcanal, birds are described with a grey head and dark bill. The body is dark brown to black, with variable pale fringes on the flanks and vent.
It uses lowland swamp forest, tall grass, and thickets near forest, especially around rivers. It nests near streams and is omnivorous, feeding in water.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.