Habitat
Dense, aquatic vegetation fringing marshes, lakesides, lagoons, swamps, flooded pastures. Sometimes dry grassland. From sea-level - 600 m, but with records to 1,400 m.
Venezuela north of R Orinoco. Specimen from north-eastern Brazil (Paraiba) is a subadult L. exilis.
 
Population
Estimated population is 250 - 999 (2010) and decreasing.
Status VU
Habitat destruction and degradation due to conversion to agriculture, pollution, development, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Voice
A 3-5 second (occasionally longer) churring rattle.
Rusty-flanked Crake (Laterallus levraudi) [XC224868]
by Francisco contreras from Tacarigua dam, Falcon, Venezuela (song)
Rusty-flanked Crake (Laterallus levraudi) [XC858943]
by id from Cabure (near El Ramonal), Petit, Falc\u00f3n, Venezuela (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Similar Species
The two sympatric Laterallus species both have barred rear flanks, Uniform Crake (Amaurolimnas concolor) has rufous underparts.
References
See References.