Baillon's Crake
Zapornia pusilla· 秧鸡科(2 photos)
Locations:
Baillon's Crake
15-16 cm. Tiny crake with streaked, tawny yellow upperparts, pale grey face/breast. Flanks, undertail-coverts barred black/white. Bill and legs green; eye red. Juvenile: duller. Walks over floating vegetation; flicks angled short tail, showing barred black and white undertail-coverts. Swims; flies with rapid wingbeats, legs dangling.
- Similar Species
- Australian Crake.
- Voice
- harsh 'krek-krek'; high-speed, repetitive clicks with whirring 'chirr'; soft, whining notes.
- Habitat
- vegetated freshwater wetlands; waterside trees and shrubs.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Feb.
- Nest
- shallow cup of rushes, water plants, grass, leaves, with part-canopy, trampled approach-ramp: in tussock, water-ribbons, bush, over or beside water.
- Eggs
- 4-8; oval, brown-olive, mottled darker.
- Range & Status
- breeds mostly s. of Brisbane (Q) and e. of Eyre Pen. and Kangaroo I. (SA), incl. Murray-Murrumbidgee region; also coastal WA; rare Tas. Possible winter migration from s. to coastal n. Aust. may extend to PNG and beyond. Also NZ; vagrant Macquarie I; widespread Eurasia, Africa e. to Japan, s. to Philippines.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Porzana pusilla palustris
