Ruddy-breasted Crake (Zapornia fusca)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Ruddy-breasted Crake

Zapornia fusca (Linnaeus, 1766)

22–23 cmLength57 gWeight

The adult has a chestnut head and breast and red legs and feet, and hides in vegetation when alarmed.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: India, China, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Adult has a chestnut head and underparts
  2. Red eyes and red legs and feet
  3. Adult has white barring on the flanks and undertail
  4. Long toes and short tail

Male, female and young

Sexes similar; juvenile is dark brown with some white patches.

Where and when it's recorded

Ruddy-breasted Crake has been recorded at 609 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Aogu Wetland IBATaiwan (China)668 records
  2. Hsinchu Coast IBA – GangnanTaiwan (China)499 records
  3. Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia481 records
More places
  1. Baruipur MarshesIndia474 records
  2. Chilika Lake – MangalajodiIndia473 records
  3. Krishnampathi Lake, SeeranaickenpalayamIndia433 records
  4. Anekal Dodda KereIndia402 records
  5. Taipei – Beitou Guizikeng Drainage CanalTaiwan (China)333 records
  6. EzhomeIndia318 records
  7. Lat Krabang – Thap Yao paddies & aquaculture pondsThailand284 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaChinaThailandSingaporeJapanSri LankaCambodiaNepal

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 ruddy-breasted crake (Zapornia fusca), or ruddy crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae, formerly included in the genus Porzana.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Ruddy-breasted Crake?

The Ruddy-breasted Crake is about 22–23 cm long and weighs around 57 g.

Where does the Ruddy-breasted Crake live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread, also East Asia. It is most often recorded in India, China and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Ruddy-breasted Crake?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Ruddy-breasted Crake endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Ruddy-breasted Crake as Least Concern.

What does the Ruddy-breasted Crake eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Ruddy-breasted Crake in?

It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.

At a glance

Length
22–23 cm
Weight
57 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
94 mm
Tail
42 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
31 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: widespread, also East Asia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1
  • Zapornia fusca erythrothorax se Siberia to ne China, Korea and Japan, Taiwan (China) | non-breeding: to Greater Sundas

Classification

Family
Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
Genus
Zapornia

Other birds in the genus Zapornia

Black CrakeBlack CrakeZapornia flavirostraSakalava RailSakalava RailZapornia olivieriBand-bellied CrakeBand-bellied CrakeZapornia paykulliiBlack-tailed CrakeBlack-tailed CrakeZapornia bicolorBrown CrakeBrown CrakeZapornia akoolBaillon's CrakeBaillon's CrakeZapornia pusillaLittle CrakeLittle CrakeZapornia parvaSpotless CrakeSpotless CrakeZapornia tabuensisHenderson CrakeHenderson CrakeZapornia atraGrey-throated RailGrey-throated RailCanirallus oculeus
Ruddy-breasted Crake

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by TAM Phan Minh. ↗

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