This rail is known only from Calayan Island in the northern Philippines. The 2004 description reported it as common in forest over coralline limestone in the island's north-central area.
In the description and field observations, most of the body was dark olive; the cheeks and sides of the throat were blackish, the chin was white, and the bill and legs were orange-red.
One field observation recorded birds turning dry leaves from side to side with the bill while foraging. The species was often found in forest over coralline limestone with sinkholes.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.