CRAKE/RAIL 5/6 November 2025 - Red-legged Crake (Lifer 586/688)

Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam can be a place for surprises for vagrants and migrant birds. The last time  was a Slaty-legged Crake which stayed for a while. After the last sighting of the Red-legged Crake about 4-5 years back I was really hoping that it will reappear. That time it stayed for just a couple of days. Then this Oct my good friend who regular bird there gave me a head up that a crake has been sighted for the past week there. After confirming that it was my lifer I immediately make arrangement to go the following morning before it leave without notice; as I believe it a passage migrant. Some says it a nomad local bird that moved around  vast territory. For the record It was also sighted in Frasers Hill which I missed it by a day 2 years back. 

The Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) is a striking yet elusive bird of dense wet forests and swampy undergrowth across Southeast Asia and parts of northern Australia. Known for its rich colour plumage and bright crimson legs, this medium-sized crake is more often heard than seen, skulking through thick vegetation in search of invertebrates and seeds. As a member of the rail family (Rallidae), it exhibits many of the typical rail characteristics—secretive habits, strong legs for walking, and short, rounded wings for brief flights. Despite its rarity in sightings, the Red-legged Crake plays a vital role in the health of tropical wetland ecosystems. (extract simplybirding.com)

The Red-legged Crake is a medium-sized bird, measuring around 24–28 cm in length. It has a relatively short tail, rounded wings, and long, strong legs that are distinctly bright red or crimson, giving the species its name. The plumage is chestnut to rich rufous-brown on the head, neck, and upperparts, transitioning to bold black and white barring on the flanks and underparts.

The eyes are bright red, adding to its vivid appearance, and the bill is greenish to grey, often with a darker tip. The bird’s combination of warm chestnut tones and zebra-like flanks makes it unmistakable when seen clearly—though such views are usually fleeting.

Juveniles are duller in colour, with more muted barring and paler legs, gradually acquiring the adult’s vibrant hues as they mature.

Red-legged Crakes are mainly terrestrial, spending most of their time walking quietly through dense ground vegetation in search of food. They are shy and reclusive, making them challenging to observe in the wild. When disturbed, they are more likely to run and disappear into cover than take flight, although they can fly short distances when necessary.

They are usually solitary or seen in pairs and are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Their diet includes insects, worms, snails, seeds, and other small invertebrates, which they forage for by probing in soft soil or leaf litter.

One of the most common ways birders detect the presence of a Red-legged Crake is by its distinctive vocalisations. Its call is a series of harsh, grating, or clucking notes, often delivered at dusk or during the wet season when breeding activity peaks.

Breeding typically coincides with the monsoon or wet season, when water and food resources are abundant. In Australia, this is usually from December to March, though the timing varies throughout the bird’s broader range. The nest is a loosely constructed platform of leaves and grass, usually hidden in thick vegetation or in low bushes near water. The female lays 3 to 6 buff-coloured eggs with reddish or brown blotches. Both parents share incubation duties, which last for approximately 18–20 days. Chicks are precocial—hatching fully feathered and ready to leave the nest within a day or two to follow the parents and forage.

Crake (5/7) Jan 2023 - Slaty-legged Crake Lifer 2023 (567/688)

This will be my first lifer for the year 2023 as we Chinese usher the Chinese New year of the Rabbit. I hope to see more lifers and the next target is the Pied Avocet that has arrived in Seberang Perai Penang. Thank Q BnC.

My catch was in Taman Botani Shah Alam which this bird regularly appear during the migration period Nov-Mar. Missed it 2 years back when it sighted in March. Then in Ayer Hitam Penang  and Penang Isle. I did not take the effort to go then. I missed it though in Fraser years back as it was on  transit  back to northern hemisphere.

Slaty-legged crakes are territorial, but are quite secretive, hiding in bushes when disturbed. They probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They forage for berries and insects on the ground, or clambering through bushes and undergrowth. Here in TBSA the bird was not scared by the 20 odd bird photogs at the port setup and come out as near as 25 feet of us.  I was shooting at 1/15s-1/30s at iso 3200 with my Fuji XT-2. It was tough getting it in focus in the low light condition in the early morning. KC Che with his Nikon D500 encounter similar situation. We stayed until we got some decent photos before we walk to other areas to look for the Golden fronted leafbird an escapee/released bird of Thailand. I really wonder how people can stay for hours to shoot thousand of shots of a bird..... perfectionist I guess.

The slaty-legged crake is about 25 cm long. Its body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the undergrowth. It has long toes and a short tail. Colouring includes a brown back, chestnut head and breast, and strong black-and-white barring on the flanks, belly and undertail. The throat is white, the bill is yellowish, and the legs are green. Sexes are similar; juveniles are dark brown above and below, although they have the belly barring and white throat. There is another rarer cousin of Slaty-legged  namely the Red-legged which have similar features except its legs are red which is also a migrant  to peninsula Malaysia. Some overstay and breed here.

 

CRAKE 4/7 - March 2021 Baillon's Crake (Lifer 544)

Awesome find near Banting about 1.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur city centre. This year the Baillon's Crake was also sighted in Sg Rambai Melaka, Sg Balang  Johor and Tanjung Karang Selangor. I was adamant to get this lifer so I went on a weekday  to avoid the crowding just in case. Thanks to my good buddy Tokki for the heads up.

Upon passing the floodgate of the Kelanang fishing estuary I shot a lonely Common Sandpiper on the road side. 

I slowly drive along Jalan Jeti hopeful to see some rare birds along the wide canal under low tide. A beauty of a matured Chinese Pond-heron was sighted but it was skittish and flew away when I stopped  to shot it. Sign.....

Reaching my rendezvous at about 8.30am, Rosalind  arrived on the dot and Saravanan was already waiting for the target bird. 

You are suppose to shoot from your car and walking out to shoot is a no no here unless you use a hide or prepare a camo screen. And if you naïve enough to come out from your car you may be scorned & scolded by fellow birders.  

Baillon's is a tiniest of crakes you can see during the migratory period in Malaysia; coming in at 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) in length. It is even shorter than a Common Myna or Bulbul. Baillon's Crake has a short sharp tapering bill, yellow or green without a red base. Adults have mainly brown upperparts with some white markings, and a blue-grey face and underparts. The rear flanks are barred black and white. They have green legs with long toes, and a short tail which is barred underneath. Somewhat it like to cock its tail when moving around.

Also know as the Marsh Crake

I noted that it forages on the move probing with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and aquatic animals including crustaceans on the surface. They are rather noisy birds, with a rattling call like that of the frog or garganey. They can be easier to see on migration or when wintering.

Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across the Paleactic.  This species is migratory wintering in east Africa and south Asia

These are some of my photos  using my Nikon P1000 in bright sunlight The distance shooting ranges  from 40-60 ft away. Focus tracking was still worrisome for me while shooting as the foraging bird  which seldom stop for you. Fortunately I was glad my P1000 managed some good photos abate some post sharpening. So higher speed shooting of 1/500-800s is recommended to freeze your subject. Buffering was really an issue with my P1000 using continuous shooting ie machinegun shooting.

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

WATERBIRD 23/60 - Slaty-breasted Rail

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

WADER 3/60 - White-browed Crake

White-browed Crake
 It is a small waterbird of about 8inches 20cm even smaller than the waterhen. A matured bird have a long black eye patch which blends to its greyish head. The white brow and a white stripe below

It is usually found on vegetated wetlands of ex mining pond,  freshwater swampland, marshland and mangrove of peninsula Malaysia. It prefers to stay on water vegetation like water hyacinth and pond weeds. It is not easy bird to spot because of its size and will ducks and run into denser vegetation when approached

At times it will visit padi fields when planting starts. It feeds on the ground hunting for grub, insects and crustachean they find.