Ruddy-breasted Crake

The ruddy-breasted crake is a small rail, 22–23cm long, with a pale brown back, a chestnut head and underparts, white barring on the flanks and undertail, a yellowish bill and red eyes, legs and feet. Its body is flattened from side to side for slipping through reeds, and it has long toes and a short tail. Juveniles are dark brown with some white spotting. It was formerly placed in the genus Porzana (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives in swamps and similar wet places and is mainly a permanent resident, though some northern birds move south for the winter. It is territorial but secretive. It probes mud and shallow water and picks up food by sight, eating shoots, berries, insects and large snails, whose shells it pecks through. The nest is placed on dry ground in marsh vegetation, and six to nine eggs are laid. In India it is resident with a large range; SoIB 2023 finds its trends uncertain and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).