Bird Album
Rufous-sided Crake
Laterallus melanophaius (Vieillot, 1819)
14–18 cmLength52 gWeight
The rufous-sided crake (Laterallus melanophaius) is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots.
Busiest months: October · Most records: Argentina, Brazil, Peru
Where and when it's recorded
Rufous-sided Crake has been recorded at 251 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Reserva Ecológica Ciudad Universitaria - Costanera NorteArgentina1,548 records
- Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina1,384 records
- Reserva Ribera NorteArgentina1,027 records
More places
- Parque FinkyArgentina513 records
- Reserva Ecológica de Vicente LópezArgentina488 records
- Reserva Ecológica de GuapiaçuBrazil384 records
- Laguna del DiarioUruguay351 records
- Estación Biológica de Cocha CashuPeru345 records
- Piracicaba – TanquãBrazil283 records
- Itanhaém – Chácara SaraBrazil250 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 rufous-sided crake (Laterallus melanophaius) is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Rufous-sided Crake?
The Rufous-sided Crake is about 14–18 cm long and weighs around 52 g.
Where does the Rufous-sided Crake live?
Its breeding range: South America: widespread. It is most often recorded in Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
When is the best time to see the Rufous-sided Crake?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Rufous-sided Crake endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Rufous-sided Crake as Least Concern.
What does the Rufous-sided Crake eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Rufous-sided Crake in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 14–18 cm
- Weight
- 52 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 83 mm
- Tail
- 38 mm
- Bill
- 20 mm
- Tarsus
- 28 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Laterallus
Other birds in the genus Laterallus
Speckled RailLaterallus notatus
Dot-winged CrakeLaterallus spiloptera
Inaccessible Island RailLaterallus rogersi
Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis
Galapagos CrakeLaterallus spilonota
Yellow-breasted CrakeLaterallus flaviventer
Grey-breasted CrakeLaterallus exilis
White-throated CrakeLaterallus albigularis
Ruddy CrakeLaterallus ruber
Rusty-flanked CrakeLaterallus levraudi
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.