Spotted crake

The spotted crake (Porzana porzana) is similar in a number of respects to the water rail, especially in its habitat and behaviour, but is easily distinguished from it, not least in its colouring and lack of a long red bill.

The spotted crake is native to Europe and western Asia. In Europe it is found in all regions except for the far north, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. It winters in the Mediterranean region and north Africa, particularly the Upper Nile region.

In the UK it is a rare summer visitor, with the most likely places to see it being freshwater wetlands in southeast and southwest England and a few sites in Scotland. It prefers dense vegetation in fens, bogs and lakesides, from which it emerges only infrequently. Like the water rail, it is more likely to be heard than seen. Perhaps a more appropriate name for it might be the “unspotted crake”!

Appearance

The spotted crake measures some 22-24 centimetres (9 inches) in length, which is roughly the size of a starling. The upperparts are brown with white speckles. The throat and chest are blue-grey in summer and browner in winter. Female birds are more spotted than males in summer and browner in winter. The flanks are barred in brown and white. The bill is yellow with a red base and olive tip and the legs are pale green. The colouring of the spotted crake is therefore another reason why it is difficult to see.

The spotted crake’s call, which is heard mostly in the evening and night hours, especially when nesting, is a sharp upward “hwitt” that has been likened to a whiplash.

Breeding

Spotted crakes arrive at their breeding grounds from mid-April to May or June, when a nest is built from plant stems and dry vegetation, well concealed in the reeds. A clutch of eight to twelve eggs is laid in April or May, with both partners sharing the incubation duties for up to 21 days before the eggs hatch. A second brood is usual, in a fresh nest that is constructed in June or July.

The chicks, which are black when they hatch, stay in the nest for one or two days, after which they run into the undergrowth where their parents bring them food. They will still be demanding attention when preparations for the second brood are being made, and will not have left the vicinity even after the younger chicks have hatched. Spotted crake parents can therefore be very busy! The birds leave for their winter quarters in September or October, flying by night.

Spotted crakes feed on insects, larvae, worms, spiders, molluscs and duckweed, plus seeds in the autumn.

The spotted crake has amber conservation status in the UK as a species that is under moderate threat. This is due to the small numbers that visit the country plus concern over its habitat.

© John Welford