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PLATE 32: WATER RAIL AND CRAKES
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus pm, wv
L: 26. W: 41. Secretive; noticeably smaller than Common Moorhen, but larger than the Porzana crakes
and easily told by slender, long red bill. Adult has dark, mottled brown upperparts, uniform slate-
blue sides of head, and underparts with heavy black-and-white bars on flanks and conspicuous
white undertail. Juvenile has browner face, mottled grey-blue underparts and blackish bill. Tail often
cocked and jerked when walking. When flushed, flies only a short distance on fluttering, rounded wings
with long legs dangling. Voice Grunting, groaning, whining and stomach-churning sounds from
vegetation; sometimes like a squealing pig. In spring, male (and female) utters for hours a rhythmic
trüt-trüt, trüt, sometimes ending with a trill. Habitat Dense aquatic vegetation, ponds, ditches.
Note Passage and winter hatched.Little Crake Porzana parva pm, wv
L: 19. W: 37. Smaller than Spotted Crake and separated by uniform blue-grey underparts (adult male)
and heavily barred undertail-coverts. Less compact than Baillon’s Crake with longer legs and neck,
and much longer wing-projection. Tertial pattern differs: pale buff fringes to inner webs form broad
creamy line along inner aspect of folded wing (in Baillon’s paler edges to tertials never form broad
continuous line). Male also told from Baillon’s by less barring on flanks, less spotted upperparts,
red base to bill, and green legs. Female has brown-buff underparts, white chin and throat and some
grey on cheeks and supercilium. Juvenile lacks grey head pattern and has stronger flank-barring than
adult; told from juvenile Baillon’s by structure, tertial pattern and less barred underparts. (Any small
crake with buff underparts seen in the region in mid-winter and spring will be female Little Crake.)
Voice Male’s song loud, accelerating croaking kwak... kwak... kwak, kwak, kwak-kwak-kva-
kva-kva-kva-kva. Female’s call short, accelerating, with vibrant terminal trill kwek, kwek-kverrrrr.
Habitat Swamps and wetland fringes; fondness for high reeds in deeper water and lagoons with
floating vegetation. Note Passage hatched, but rare throughout much of region; some winter Iraq
and S Arabia.Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla PM, WV
L: 18. W: 35. Resembles Little Crake but more compact and with very short primary projection.
Upperparts warmer rufous with distinct, but small, irregularly scattered white spots; tertials do not
form continuous pale line along inner aspect of folded wing as in Little Crake; underparts bluish-
grey in both sexes with heavier black-and-white barring on flanks. Uniform green bill without
red base, and dirty olive legs and feet. Juvenile more strongly barred below than Little Crake and
best told by short primary projection and absence of broad, pale tertial-line. Most skulking of all the
crakes. Voice Song a series of dry, rattling frog-like sounds lasting 1–2 seconds and repeated at
intervals of 1–2 seconds, trrrrr, trrrrr, trrrrr. Habitat Dense vegetation (sedges, rushes), small pools,
wetland edges. Note Passage hatched, but rare or sometimes vagrant; some winter in S Arabia.Spotted Crake Porzana fusca PM, WV
L: 23. W: 40. Small, round-bodied crake, slightly larger than Little Crake. Note heavily white-spotted
plumage and short, red-based, yellow bill; flanks and vent strongly barred black and white, but
buff undertail-coverts (barred in Little and Baillon’s Crakes) visible when walking with tail cocked.
Juvenile lacks grey head pattern, has whitish throat and bright brownish underparts with whitish
spots. Secretive, moves with slow, stalking steps and sudden crouching run. In short flight often
dangles legs. Voice Song (both sexes) is a rhythmical, far-carrying whistle whitt, whitt, repeated
each second, mainly from late dusk and through the night. Habitat Swamps, overgrown ditches,
margins of ponds. Note Passage hatched, some winter.Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca V
L: 22. W: 37. Adult has rich chestnut underparts, dark brown upperparts. Black-and-white barring
on lower belly and undertail-coverts. Legs and eyes red, bill dark grey. Sexes alike but female paler
with whiter throat. Juvenile has darker upperparts and duller underparts; chin and throat white
becoming more chestnut with age. Voice Soft puk while foraging. Habitat Wetlands, edges of
water, dense vegetation. Note Vagrant Oman.