
Buff-spotted Flufftail
Sarothrura elegans (Smith, A, 1839)
46 gWeight
Busiest months: November–December · Most records: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
Buff-spotted Flufftail has been recorded at 55 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- St Lucia – iGwalagwala TrailSouth Africa137 records
- SeldomseenZimbabwe64 records
- Aberfoyle LodgeZimbabwe59 records
More places
- Wamba MarshZimbabwe20 records
- Semuliki NP – Kirumya TrailUganda17 records
- St Lucia – iMfolozi River mouthSouth Africa17 records
- Kakamega Forest NRKenya13 records
- Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya12 records
- Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa12 records
- Pietermaritzburg – Darvill Resources ParkSouth Africa9 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.
Questions
How big is the Buff-spotted Flufftail?
The Buff-spotted Flufftail weighs around 46 g.
Where does the Buff-spotted Flufftail live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the Buff-spotted Flufftail?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November and December (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Buff-spotted Flufftail endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Buff-spotted Flufftail as Least Concern.
What does the Buff-spotted Flufftail eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Buff-spotted Flufftail in?
It belongs to the family Flufftails & Forest Rails (Sarothruridae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 46 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 85 mm
- Tail
- 37 mm
- Bill
- 15 mm
- Tarsus
- 25 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
- Flufftails & Forest Rails Sarothruridae
- Genus
- Sarothrura
Other birds in the genus Sarothrura
White-spotted FlufftailSarothrura pulchra
Red-chested FlufftailSarothrura rufa
Chestnut-headed FlufftailSarothrura lugens
Streaky-breasted FlufftailSarothrura boehmi
White-winged FlufftailSarothrura ayresi
Striped FlufftailSarothrura affinis
Madagascar FlufftailSarothrura insularis
Slender-billed FlufftailSarothrura watersi
Madagascar Forest RailMentocrex kioloides
Tsingy Forest RailMentocrex beankaensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Bart Wursten. ↗
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In other languages
- EnglishBuff-spotted Flufftail
- 简体中文黄斑侏秧鸡
- 繁體中文黃點侏秧雞
- 日本語キボシクイナ
- DeutschTropfenralle
- FrançaisRâle ponctué
- EspañolPolluela elegante
- Portuguêscodorniz-de-água-elegante
- ItalianoCodapiuma macchiecamoscio
- NederlandsBruinvlekral
- РусскийПёстрая жемчужная курочка
- Svenskabeigefläckig dunrall
- DanskOkkerplettet Dunhale
- Polskikusokurka plamista