Ruddy Crake

Ruddy Crake

Laterallus ruber

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Lago de Yojoa

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

202 Verified sightings at Lago de Yojoa From 2019 to 2026
548 In all 11 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Ruddy Crake

The ruddy crake (Laterallus ruber) is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae. Other names the ruddy crake is known by are "red rail", "ruddy rail" and "red crake". The ruddy crake can be identified by its ruddy plumage that can vary in shade and gray head with dark brown wings and tail. It is mostly bright chestnut in colour with a paler chin and belly, blackish crown and dark grey ear-coverts. Ruddy crakes are about the size of a sparrow. It is a small crake, 14–16.5 cm in length. Immature ruddy crakes tend to show discoloration on their midline or nape, such as a pale midline or chestnut colored nape. The bill is black, the iris is red and the legs and feet are olive-green. This distinct characteristic of yellow green legs, differentiating it from other small birds. The ruddy crake has a short black conical bill, and it has wide spread feet specifically adapted for wet habitats. Female ruddy crakes are more drab than males, and the males have rusty red plumage on the breast.

The ruddy crake, similar to others in the Rallidae family, prefers wet pastures and marshes, especially the tall grasses. The ruddy crake populates the lowlands of... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:16

El Salvador · 2019

© Mario Trejo · XC455083 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:45

Mexico · 2015

© Manuel Grosselet · XC265055 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:35

Honduras · 2014

© Mayron McKewy Mejía · XC183750 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
2 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
3 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
4 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
5 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
6 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
7 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
8 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
9 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
10 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
11 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Pedro Sula 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Crake in Lago de Yojoa?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Crake sighting in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, based on 202 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 83rd most-seen of the 263 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Ruddy Crake in Lago de Yojoa?

April and October

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Crake in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, against about 10% in June and July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Ruddy Crake?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ruddy Crake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Lago de Yojoa the best place to see a Ruddy Crake?

Yes

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Ruddy Crake sightings, Lago de Yojoa has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 10%) and Biotopo Cerro Cahuí (Guatemala, about 10%).

Where does the Ruddy Crake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ruddy Crake is recorded against all the birds logged in Lago de Yojoa (202 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.

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