Bird Album
Black Crake
Zapornia flavirostra (Swainson, 1837)
86 gWeight
The black crake (Zapornia flavirostra) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda
Black Crake has been recorded at 461 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 36 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Nairobi NPKenya1,114 records
- Mabamba SwampUganda824 records
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa824 records
More places
- Amboseli NPKenya557 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania511 records
- Kruger NP – Lake Panic Bird HideSouth Africa451 records
- Queen Elizabeth II NP – Kazinga Channel Boat TripUganda405 records
- Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa389 records
- Serengeti NPTanzania364 records
- Lake Mburo NPUganda349 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black crake (Zapornia flavirostra) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. It breeds in most of sub-Saharan Africa except in very arid areas. It undertakes some seasonal movements in those parts of its range which are subject to drought.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black Crake?
The Black Crake weighs around 86 g.
Where does the Black Crake live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the Black Crake?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Black Crake endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Crake as Least Concern.
What does the Black Crake eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Black Crake in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 86 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 99 mm
- Tail
- 41 mm
- Bill
- 24 mm
- Tarsus
- 40 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Zapornia
Other birds in the genus Zapornia
Sakalava RailZapornia olivieri
Ruddy-breasted CrakeZapornia fusca
Band-bellied CrakeZapornia paykullii
Black-tailed CrakeZapornia bicolor
Brown CrakeZapornia akool
Baillon's CrakeZapornia pusilla
Little CrakeZapornia parva
Spotless CrakeZapornia tabuensis
Henderson CrakeZapornia atra
Grey-throated RailCanirallus oculeus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ian White. ↗
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