It is about 30 cm long with a wingspan of 50 cm and a weight of around 435 g. It is almost flightless and has very short wings and tail.
The bill is large and bright red with a whitish tip.
The long, strong legs are red as are the iris and eye-ring.

The upperparts are olive-brown while the underparts are black with narrow white bars.
The face is black with a white spot between the bill and eye and a white line behind the eye, extending back to the side of the neck.
The undertail-coverts are dark brown with pale bars.

Juvenile birds are paler than the adults and are mottled white below rather than barred.
The spot in front of the eye is tinged with brown while the stripe behind is shorter than in the adult.
The bill and iris are brownish and the legs and feet are yellow-ochre.

It is a noisy bird with a variety of loud calls.
It calls most often early and late in the day, usually from the ground but sometimes from trees.
Pairs often call together and up to 12 birds have been heard in one area.
It is about 30 cm long with a wingspan of 50 cm and a weight of around 435 g. It is almost flightless and has very short wings and tail. The bill is large and bright red with a whitish tip. The long, strong legs are red as are the iris and eye-ring.
The upperparts are olive-brown while the underparts are black with narrow white bars. The face is black with a white spot between the bill and eye and a white line behind the eye, extending back to the side of the neck. The undertail-coverts are dark brown with pale bars.
Juvenile birds are paler than the adults and are mottled white below rather than barred. The spot in front of the eye is tinged with brown while the stripe behind is shorter than in the adult. The bill and iris are brownish and the legs and feet are yellow-ochre.
It is a noisy bird with a variety of loud calls. It calls most often early and late in the day, usually from the ground but sometimes from trees. Pairs often call together and up to 12 birds have been heard in one area.
Okinawa rail