A strikingly marked rail with a short cocked tail. Olive-brown above and heavily barred black-and-white below and on throat, with a rufous band across the chest. Face is strikingly black with a thick white stripe. Favors damp marshy grassland up to 1000 meters of elevation. Similar to Buff-banded Rail, but easily identified by its white facial stripe and lack of a white eyebrow. Often heard giving a loud, harsh croaking chorus.