It is a rarity for weekend birders to see
this waterbird of marshland mangroves and even padi field in Peninsula. Male
and female looks the same Size about a foot chestnut crown , grey chested with
black and white bar to its behind Reddish beaked and black legs. Feed on grubs
of insects and worms caught on the grass and muddy ground.Generally the family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Nearly all members are associated with wetlands. Most species walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces and waterplants like lily patch. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers, although nevertheless capable of covering long distances. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe.
Island species often become flightless, and many of them are now extinct following the introduction of terrestrial predators such as cats, rats and pigs.
Many reedbed species are secretive, apart from loud calls, and crepuscular, and have laterally flattened bodies. In the Old World, long billed species tend to be called “rails” and short billed species “crakes”. The larger species are also sometimes given other names watercock, moorhen, jacana etc. The black coots are more open water than their relatives, and some other large species are called gallinules.
All the above photos taken in Port Kelang
Latest sighting was in Putrajaya Wetland
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