From Opus

Photo by Mitcon
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Porzana pusilla

[edit] Identification

16-18cm

• 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.

[edit] Similar Species

The Little Crake has no white streaks on the wing coverts.

[edit] Distribution

From Europe and Africa to east Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies¹

• P. p. intermedia - Europe to Asia Minor, eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar
• P. p. pusilla - Central and eastern Asia; winters to India, Malaya and the Philippines
• P. p. mira - Known from a 1912 specimen from Borneo
• P. p. mayri - Known from 4 specimens from New Guinea
• P. p. palustris - Eastern New Guinea, southern Australia (winters to north); accidental Tasmania
• P. p. affinis - New Zealand and Chatham Islands

[edit] Habitat

Sedge beds. Areas of low, dense vegetation and small pools.

[edit] Behaviour

Very secretive bird.

[edit] Flight

Weak flight, with dangling legs.
Walks or runs.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects and aquatic animals.

[edit] Breeding

They nest in a dry location in wet sedge bogs, laying 4-8 eggs.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Wikipedia
3. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
5. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links