Its existence was only confirmed in 1978 and it was formally described in 1981 although unidentified rails had been recorded on the island since at least 1973 and local stories of a bird known as the agachi kumira may refer to this species.

[2] It is a medium-sized and almost flightless rail with short wings and tail, olive-brown upperparts, black underparts with white bars and a red bill and legs.

It is classified as an endangered species and is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators.

The spot in front of the eye is tinged with brown while the stripe behind is shorter than in the adult.

It spends most of its time on the ground but usually roosts in trees, climbing up to sleep on a branch or sloping trunk.

The eggs are oval in shape and white with reddish, pinkish or brownish markings concentrated at the larger end.

The downy young are black with yellowish legs and feet and a white bill with a blackish base and tip.

[4] The species is classified as endangered by BirdLife International because of its small, declining population and restricted range.

[7] It is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of its forest habitat due to logging, agriculture and the building of roads, dams and golf courses.

Introduced predators such as cats, dogs and the small Asian mongoose probably have an impact while some birds are killed by vehicles on roads.

[2] Yanbaru became a national park in 2016 and several forest sites have been bought by conservation organizations as nature reserves.