Red-legged Crake
Rallina fasciata
红脚斑秧鸡
Introduction
A waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. Inhabits far north-eastern India, eastern Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Indonesia, with records as a vagrant to north-western Australia. Occurs in dense vegetation close to permanent wetlands. Distinguished by its barred black and white underparts and underwings, combined with green bill and red legs. Assessed as Least Concern due to its large range and no evidence of significant population decline.
Description
A medium-large crake measuring 24 cm in length. The head, neck, and breast are red-brown, becoming paler on the throat. The upper parts are grey-brown. The underparts and underwings display distinctive black and white barring. The bill is green and the legs are red, providing key identification features.
Identification
Field identification is aided by the combination of red-brown head, neck, and breast, grey-brown upperparts, and black-and-white barred underparts. The green bill and red legs are distinctive. The barred underwing pattern is visible in flight. Compared to similar crake species, the red-legged crake shows unique underpart barring and leg coloration.
Distribution & Habitat
Range extends from far north-eastern India and eastern Bangladesh through Burma, Thailand, and the Malay Peninsula to Borneo and Indonesia. Recorded as a vagrant in north-western Australia. Inhabits dense vegetation immediately surrounding permanent wetlands, rarely venturing into open water.
Behavior & Ecology
Breeding occurs with a clutch of 3-6 dull-white eggs. Vocalizations consist of a series of descending croaks, screams, and grunts. Social behavior centers on dense wetland vegetation. More specific dietary information is not documented.
Conservation
IUCN Red List assessment: Least Concern. The species has a large geographic range and there is no evidence of significant population decline. No specific major threats are identified in current assessments.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallina
- eBird Code
- relcra1
Distribution
south-central Myanmar eastward to northern Thailand, southern Vietnam, and Philippines (very local), and southward through Indonesian Archipelago eastward to eastern Wallacea
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.