From Opus

Photo by Pavel
Shabla, Bulgaria, March 2006

Porzana parva

[edit] Identification

17-19

• Short straight yellow bill with a red base
• Green legs with long toes
• Short tail is barred black, white underneath

Adult males

• Mainly brown upperparts
• Slate-grey face and underparts

Females

Female
Photo by Margitta
Valle Cavanata, Italy, August 2010

• Whitish throat
• Buff underparts
• Grey only on the face
  

Immatures are similar to the female but have a white face and breast

The downy chicks are black, as with all rails

[edit] Similar Species

Water Rail and Spotted Crake

[edit] Distribution

Europe, and western Asia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Immature
Photo by Florian Andronache

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Reedbeds

[edit] Behaviour

Most active at dawn and dusk

[edit] Flight

Similar to Water Rail and Spotted Crake

[edit] Breeding

4-7 eggs are laid in nests built in reeds.

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects and aquatic animals.

They probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia
3. Collins Field Guide 5th edition

• List of references

[edit] External Links