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Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla) Alternate name(s): "Marsh Crake*", "Tiny Crake*" Size: 15-18 cm; wing span 33-37 cm Body mass: 25-45 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.3-1.0

Australia: Family Group 7 Family Group 7 Table Dusky Moorhen Australasian (Purple) Swamphen Black-tailed Native-hen Tasmanian Native-hen Pale-vented Bush-hen Eurasian Coot White-browed Crake Spotless Crake Baillon's Crake Australian Spotted Crake Lewin's Rail Buff-banded Rail Red-necked Crake Chestnut Rail White-breasted Waterhen Lord Howe Woodhen Australian Bustard Brolga Sarus Crane Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Baillon's Crakes are small wetland birds. They have highly cryptic plumage. Their front (sides of head, throat, breast) is light-grey. The cap and nape of the neck and uppertail are brown, while the wings are brown with dark-brown and white speckles. The only difference between the sexes is that female Baillon's Crakes have a ruous eye-stripe, while males don't. The irises of both sexes are red, the bill, legs and feet are olive-green. Juvenile Baillon's Crakes have paler colours than adults; in particular, their front is rufous to light-brown, rather than grey, and they have near-white malar stripes. Twitcher's tip Compared to Australian Spotted Crakes, Baillon's Crakes are lighter and have a barred undertail.

Taxonomy, classification See Baillon's Crake at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of Baillon's Crake is available HERE . Baillon's Crakes are a partially migratory species with a wide-ranging distribution. The Eurasian population breeds in parts of (mainly eastern) Europe and farther East, northwards of the North coast of the Black Sea, into central Asia. Recent records establish that they are also found in parts of Germany, the Netherlands and France. The European population migrates South to spend the northern winters in East Africa, while the Asian population tends to migrate towards South Asia. On their migrations they are occasionally found in areas such as e.g. Asia Minor, the Middle East and Arabia. There are also sedentary populations in southern Asia and in Australia. Baillon's Crakes, race "palustris", are breeding migrants to Australia from the North, via the Torres Strait. They can be found along most of the Australian coastline, except the Nullarbor in WA/SA. They move farther inland into the Great Dividing Range from about Brisbane, QLD, southwards, to about the VIC/SA border. They are also found in swamps along the major rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin (in parts of which they breed). Anywhere else inland, i.e. roughly in the eastern half of the continent, plus the Top End of the NT, plus the Kimberley and along a wide near-coastal strip from about Exmouth, WA, to Esperance, WA, they are found only occasionally. Baillon's Crakes have a preference for well-vegetated swamps around freshwater and brackish water. They often shelter in sedges or reeds. Where to look? How to find this species? If you see a small greyish-brown bird on a lilypad, it is most likely to be a Baillon's Crake. Note that crakes are very small birds - much smaller than other waterfowl! One's first impression may just be a subconsciously noted movement before the eyes will focus on the bird.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "palustris" B. Hensen reports spotting Baillon's Crakes, race "palustris", at Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, in December 2012. J. Greaves reports finding an immature Baillon's Crake, race "palustris", at North Lake, near Fremantle, WA, in December 2015. M. Eaton reports spotting several Baillon's Crakes, race "palustris", at Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, in August 2017 and again in August 2018. M. Windeyer reports spotting several Baillon's Crakes, race "palustris", repeatedly at Tiger Bay Wetlands, Warren, NSW, e.g. in October 2017. M. Mearns reports finding a Baillon's Crake, race "palustris", at Lake Nuga Nuga, Arcadia Valley, QLD, in August 2020. We first spotted a Baillon's Crake at Cattai Wetlands, near Coopernook, NSW, in October 2023.

Photos

Race "palustris"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Female Baillon's Crakes, right, have a rufous eye-stripe that is either very faint or absent in males.

MALE

Frontal view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Frontal view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Near-frontal view of a male Baillon's Crake
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Near-lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2017]

Lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake wading through a swamp (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Tiger Bay Wetlands, Warren, NSW, October 2017]

Lateral view of a male Baillon's Crake, here seen swimming across shallow water (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Tiger Bay Wetlands, Warren, NSW, October 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a male Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Baillon's Crake; note the black and white barring on the undertail
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Baillon's Crake - note the faint rufous eye-stripe; for size comparison a Eurasian Coot on the right (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Close-up lateral view of a female Baillon's Crake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of a female(?) Baillon's Crake stretching a wing (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlake Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Baillon's Crake; note the light-grey front and malar stripe (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[North Lake, near Fremantle, WA, December 2015]

Lateral view of a juvenile Baillon's Crake wading through shallow water (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[North Lake, near Fremantle, WA, December 2015]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory/nomadic

Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

Near-frontal view of a female Baillon's Crake eyeing a grub on the edge of a lily pad
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Baillon's Crake pulling up part of an under water plant (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2017]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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