Amaurornis phoenicurus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls.
Adult white-breasted waterhens have mainly dark grey upperparts and flanks, and a white face, neck and breast. The lower belly and undertail are cinnamon or white coloured. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds or undergrowth. They have long toes, a short tail and a yellow bill and legs. Sexes are similar but females measure slightly smaller. Immature birds are much duller versions of the adults. The downy chicks are black, as with all rails.
Several subspecies are named for the populations that are widely distributed. The nominate subspecies is described from Sri Lanka but is often widened to include... Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warangal Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 3 | Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) | 🇯🇵 Japan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Waterhen sighting in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, based on 134 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 133rd most-seen of the 244 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Waterhen in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and September, the lowest months. That is one of Cat Tien National Park's wettest months, with about 340 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 1 and 4 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-breasted Waterhen sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
29th of 42
Of the 42 parks where we can rate White-breasted Waterhen sightings, Cat Tien National Park ranks 29th at about 10%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 80%), Ranthambore National Park (India, about 60%) and Sundarbans National Park (India, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the White-breasted Waterhen that you can see in Cat Tien National Park (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Slaty-legged Crake (about 10%) and Western Swamphen (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-breasted Waterhen is recorded against all the birds logged in Cat Tien National Park (134 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
