Australian Spotted Crake

Images ©:
©Bob Winters

Porzana fluminea

Up to 23 cm. Dark grey on its face, forehead, throat and chest. Lower flanks are black barred white. Underside of its tail are white. Olive-green bill, with an orange-red area at the bill's base. Legs and feet are green to olive yellow. The female is similar to the male but duller with less contrast in its plumage colours.

Details
Type
Bird
Group
Animals
Crake
Other Common Names
Australian Crake
Biology

Breeding season: August to January, but late April recorded. They nest in swamps or lakes in a variety of vegetation types, such as rushes, grass, low shrubs and water-lilies. They may also nest on overhanging tree branches or on the ground. Some nests have a stage or track leading to them. Nests can vary from a flat, flimsy structure to a cup of fine, woven material, sometimes with a dome or with rushes interlaced over the nest. Nests are made of rushes or grass and lined with soft grass.
Distinctive Markings

Upperparts, back of its neck and crown of its head are brownish-olive, streaked black and finely spotted with white.
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Gruiformes
Family
Rallidae
Genus
Porzana
Species
fluminea

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

The Australian Spotted Crake was first scientifically described by John Gould in 1843. The first part of its Latin name, Porzana, is a local (Venetian) name for the smaller crakes. Fluminea just means 'frequenting rivers'.

Interesting Facts
Diet

Omnivore. Feeds on seeds, molluscs, insects, crustaceans and spiders. They forage on mudflats, and in reed beds.
Habitat

Found in well-vegetated edges of wetlands, whether permanent or temporary, fresh or saltwater. It is usually found among dense growths of plants such as saltbush, reeds, rushes, mangroves, thick grass, or dense shrubs such as Bottle-brush or Tea-tree.
Native Status
Native to Australia
Audio
Sounds
Most common call is a sharp, metallic double-note call. Other calls are a single-note call, given when the bird is disturbed from its nest.