Little Crake (Zapornia parva)

Family
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, Coots)

Size
19 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Scopoli, 1769)

Habitat
Reedbeds and swamps with still water and floating vegetation.

Range (Guide)

Albania (B), Algeria, Armenia (B), Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B) (P), Bahrain, Belarus (B), Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (P), China (mainland) (B), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B), Cyprus, Czech Republic (B), Egypt, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, Finland (B), France (B), Georgia (B), Germany (B), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Hungary (B) (NB), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Iraq (P), Israel, Italy (B) (P), Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malta, Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B) (NB), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Netherlands Antilles (B), Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland (B), Qatar, Romania (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (B), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (B), Spain (B) (NB), Sudan, Sweden (B), Switzerland (B), Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey (B), Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), Uzbekistan (B), Yemen, Zambia.

Vagrant to Afghanistan, Cape Verde, Denmark, Eritrea, Gambia, Ireland, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Niger, Norway, Portugal, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

Locally in Europe eastern across Transcaucasus, south-eastern Transcaspia, western Tadjikistan, Kazakhstan and western Xinjiang (Tien Shan and Tarim Basin east to Lop Nur), north-western China. Winters from Mediterranean south to western Africa (Senegal, Niger, Nigeria) and eastern Africa (Uganda, Kenya), and east through Arabia to western Pakistan and north-western India.

Population
Estimated population is 100,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Aquatic invertebrates.

Voice
Low, croaking sounds that get faster and finish with a trill.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (241)...)

Little Crake (Zapornia parva) [XC177781]
by Albert Lastukhin from , Germany (song, song; pair, sounds during copula?)

Little Crake (Zapornia parva) [XC564477]
by Adam Gruszczy\u0144ski from Aardlapalu, Kastre Rural Municipality, Tartu maakond, Sweden (song)

Nest
A shallow cup on a raised tussock, in thick, waterside vegetation.

Eggs (Guide)
7 - 9; glossy, yellow-buff with brown spots and blotches.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Little Crake (Zapornia parva) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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