Nominate subspecies
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Basai Wetlands, Dist. Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 31 March 2015
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Basai Wetlands, Dist. Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 31 March 2015
- Zapornia pusilla
Porzana pusilla
Identification
17–19 cm (6¾-7½)
- Rufous-brown above with black marks
- White loopy streaks on wing coverts
- Underparts and cheeks grey
- Flanks, belly and undertail coverts have black and white barring
- Greyish-pink to olive-brown legs
- Long toes
- Dull green bill
- Red eyes
- Narrow white leading edge on outer wing
Juvenile: lacks the grey cheeks and underparts, which are a rather dirty brown.
Similar Species
The Little Crake has no white streaks on the wing coverts.
Distribution
From Europe and Africa to east Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
Placed in genus Porzana by IOC.
Subspecies
There are 6 subspecies1:
- Z. p. intermedia - Europe to Asia Minor, eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar
- Z. p. pusilla - Central and eastern Asia; winters to India, Malaya and the Philippines
- Z. p. mira - Known from a 1912 specimen from Borneo
- Z. p. mayri - Known from 4 specimens from New Guinea
- Z. p. palustris - Eastern New Guinea, southern Australia (winters to north); accidental Tasmania
- Z. p. affinis - New Zealand and Chatham Islands
Habitat
Sedge beds. Areas of low, dense vegetation and small pools.
Behaviour
Very secretive bird.
Flight
Weak flight, with dangling legs.
Walks or runs.
Diet
The diet consists mostly of aquatic insects and larvae.
Breeding
They nest in a dry location in wet sedge bogs, laying 4-8 eggs.
Vocalisation
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Baillon's Crake. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Baillon%27s_Crake
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
