Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea (B), Pakistan, Philippines (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Singapore (B), South Korea (B), Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Timor-Leste (B) (NB), Vietnam.
Vagrant to Afghanistan, Christmas Island.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Ruddy-breasted Crake (Zapornia fusca) [XC846669]
by Sam Hambly from Ko Kret (near Tambon Ko Kret), Amphoe Pak Kret, Chang Wat Nonthaburi, Thailand (song)
Ruddy-breasted Crake (Zapornia fusca) [XC862844]
by Albert Lastukhin from Donkoi, Vientiane Prefecture, Laos (call)
Subspecies
Possible subspecies bakeri included in nominate.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
fusca (Linnaeus, 1766) - Pakistan and northern India to south-central China (Yunnan) and Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, Philippines and western Indonesia.
zeylonica (Baker, ECS, 1927) - Western India and Sri Lanka.
erythrothorax (Temminck & Schlegel, 1849) - Japan, eastern & southern China and Indochina; northern populations winter to S.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9