Red-legged crake

Red-legged crake
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Genus:	Rallina
Species:	R. fasciata
Binomial name
Rallina fasciata (Raffles, 1822)

The red-legged crake (Rallina fasciata) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae.

Description

Medium-large crake (length 24 cm). Head, neck and breast red-brown, paler on throat. Upperparts grey-brown. Underparts and underwing barred black and white. Bill green; legs and feet red.

Distribution and habitat

North-eastern India, southern Burma, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indonesia. Recorded as a vagrant to north-western Australia. Found in dense vegetation close to permanent wetlands.

Behaviour

Breeding

Clutch of 3-6 dull-white eggs.

Voice

Series of descending croaks, screams and grunts.

Conservation

With a large range and no evidence of significant decline, this species is assessed as being of least concern.

References

• BirdLife International. (2007). Species factsheet: Rallina fasciata. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/6/2007
• Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J.; & Davies, J.N. (eds). (1994). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553069-1
• Smythies, B.E.; & Davison, G.W.H. (1999). The Birds of Borneo. Natural History Publications (Borneo), in association with the Sabah Society: Kota Kinabalu. ISBN 983-812-028-6