WATER BIRD 22/60 - Ruddy-breasted Crake

Another lifer for the year 2016 bringing my tally to 453 subspecies of Birds of Malaysia that I have photographed. This Crake is mainly a permanent resident throughout its range, but some northern populations migrate further south in winter.

Usually it can be seen in water catchment areas of marshland, padi fields and secondary clearings with flooded watershed in coastal areas in Peninsula and Borneo. It has also adapted to the suburban habitat amongst open land overgrown with lallang and lowland vegetation as more and more wetland are  been recovered; poised for development.

The ruddy-breasted crake (Porzana fusca), or ruddy crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. Its breeding habitat is swamps and similar wet areas across south Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to south China, Phillipines, Japan and Indonesia. This crake nests in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 6-9 eggs.

The ruddy-breasted crake is about 22–23 cm long. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds or undergrowth. It has long toes and a short tail. Coloring includes a pale brown back and chestnut head and underparts, with white barring on the flanks and undertail. The bill is yellowish green, and the eyes, legs, and feet are reddish. Notice their wings are really tiny meant for short flights whilst their extended index feet are adapted for stepping on water vegetation.

The sexes are similar, but juveniles are dark brown with some white spotting.
These birds probe in mud or shallow water and also pick up food by sight. They forage for shoots, berries and insects, as well as large snails, which they eat by using their bills to peck through the hard shell.

Ruddy-breasted crakes are territorial, but are quite secretive, hiding amongst grassy shrubs and bushes when disturbed