Wildlifeof Nepal
Baillon's Crake
Cranes, Rails & BustardsZapornia pusilla
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly insects and aquatic animals
Habitat
Sedge beds and swamps, nesting on dry ground within wet sedge bogs
Range
Breeds from Eastern Europe to Honshu, Japan; winters in East Africa and South Asia
Clutch size
4-8 eggs
Size
15-18cm
Baillon's crake is a tiny rail, 15 to 18cm long, with a short straight yellow or green bill, ochre-brown upperparts streaked black and white, pale blue-grey underparts, barred flanks and olive-green legs with long toes. It breeds in sedge beds and swamps and feeds mainly on insects and aquatic animals, probing mud or shallow water and picking up food it sees (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is very secretive when breeding and usually heard rather than seen, giving a rattling call compared to that of the edible frog. It lays 4 to 8 eggs and is easier to see on migration and in winter. The species breeds from eastern Europe to Honshu and winters in East Africa and South Asia; the source does not name Nepal or the Himalaya. It was described by Pallas in 1776 and is named for the French naturalist Louis Baillon (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Baillon's Crake eat?
- Mainly insects and aquatic animals
- What habitat does the Baillon's Crake live in?
- Sedge beds and swamps, nesting on dry ground within wet sedge bogs
- Where is the Baillon's Crake found?
- Breeds from Eastern Europe to Honshu, Japan; winters in East Africa and South Asia
- How many eggs does the Baillon's Crake lay?
- 4-8 eggs
- How big is the Baillon's Crake?
- 15-18cm