Habitat
Flowing and still inland freshwater lakes, ponds, reservoirs, seasonal pans and temporary flooded areas along rivers), margins of coastal lagoons and estuaries, preferably fringed by rank grass, sedges, reedbeds, papyrus, swampy thickets, bushes or other vegetation, ponds with floating submergent vegetation, the interior of dense or extensive reedbeds, dense undergrowth in boggy forest clearings, margins of swampy forest streams. Also, broad, grassy marshes and very small streams with little cover in drier regions.
Habits
Usually in pairs but occasionally in groups of up to 10. Diurnal. Most active just after rainfall.
Food
Worms, molluscs, crustaceans, adult and larval insects, small fish, small frogs and tadpoles, the eggs and nestlings of weavers and herons, seeds and other parts of water plants and occasionally carrion.
Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra) [XC64982]
by Bram Piot from Mbamba Bay, Lake Victoria, Uganda (call)
Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra) [XC425574]
by Frank Lambert from Janjanbureh, Janjanbureh, Central River, Gambia (call)
Nest
A deep bowl composed of reeds and other aquatic plants, usually placed floating on or suspended 20 - 50 cm above the surface of water in vegetation. Also, on the ground or in grass tussocks near water, and occasionally in bushes up to 3 m above the ground.
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Sakalava Rail (Zapornia olivieri).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet