Amaurornis phoenicurus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Waterhen sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 2,954 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 223 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Waterhen in Chennai on a given day, against about 30% in April and September, the lowest months. That is one of Chennai's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain against 290 mm in November.
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.
28th of 111
Of the 111 cities where we can rate White-breasted Waterhen sightings, Chennai ranks 28th at about 40%. The best odds are in Tamluk (India, about 60%), Madurai (India, about 60%) and Savar (Bangladesh, about 60%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the White-breasted Waterhen that you can see in Chennai (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Western Swamphen (about 30%), Common Moorhen (about 30%) and Eurasian Coot (about 20%), 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 Chennai (2,954 verified sightings), 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.
