Porzana fusca
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) and HuttyMcphoo (photography) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The ruddy-breasted crake (Zapornia fusca), or ruddy crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae, formerly included in the genus Porzana. Its breeding habitat is swamps and similar wet areas across South Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to south China, Japan and Indonesia. It has been recorded as a vagrant from the Australian territory of Christmas Island. It is mainly a permanent resident throughout its range, but some northern populations migrate further south in winter.
This crake nests in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 6-9 eggs. The ruddy-breasted crake is about 22–23 cm long. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds or undergrowth. It has long toes and a short tail. The back is pale brown, the head and underparts chestnut, and with white barring on the flanks and undertail. The bill is yellowish, and the eyes, legs, and feet are red.
The sexes are similar, but juveniles are dark brown with some white spotting. These birds probe in mud or shallow water and also pick up food by sight. They forage for shoots, berries and insects, as well as large snails, which they eat by using their bills to peck through the hard shell.
Ruddy-breasted crakes are territorial, but are quite secretive, hiding amongst grassy shrubs and bushes when disturbed. Wikipedia →
Recording0:12
Japan · 2026
© m_sato · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:09
Thailand · 2023
© Sam Hambly · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:21
Japan · 2024
© takuyatamura · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 6 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 8 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 10 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 11 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vasai-Virar | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Chattogram | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | |
| 3 | Nagoya | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 4 | Coimbatore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Naha | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 6 | Ponnani | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Vijayawada | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Kozhikode | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenzhen Safari Park | 🇨🇳 China |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy-breasted Crake sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 140th most-seen of the 156 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy-breasted Crake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Sinharaja Forest Reserve's wettest months, with about 470 mm of rain against 150 mm in March.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ruddy-breasted 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.
8th of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Ruddy-breasted Crake sightings, Sinharaja Forest Reserve ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 10%), Chitwan National Park (Nepal, under 5%) and Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand, under 5%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the Ruddy-breasted Crake that you can see in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are White-breasted Waterhen (about 20%) and Slaty-legged Crake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ruddy-breasted Crake is recorded against all the birds logged in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (10 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.
