Brown above, blue-gray below black streaking and white specks, barred flanks, and black undertail with a thick white border (unlike Baillon’s Crake, which has fine barring).
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Spotted Crake, Water Crake, Spotted Water Crake
At a glance
FamilyRails, Gallinules, and Coots
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatInhabits freshwater and saltwater wetlands with vegetated edges, where it forages on muddy shorelines, often out in the open.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from December to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Richard Boon
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
43005approx records
7states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Tail is often held cocked.
Behavior
Inhabits freshwater and saltwater wetlands with vegetated edges, where it forages on muddy shorelines, often out in the open.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Black-tailed NativehenTribonyx ventralisNote pale green base to the bill with a yellow tip and a red spot, bright red-pink legs, and pale spots on flanks. Can occur in large numbers. Hard to approach, and when disturbed runs away fast. Tends to be less vocal than other waterhen species.→Tasmanian NativehenTribonyx mortieriiHas a yellow-green bill and a white thigh patch.→Buff-banded RailGallirallus philippensisReddish head with strong pale eyebrow. Makes a loud squeaking call. On small islands (e.g. Green Island, Lord Howe Island, Lady Elliot Island) it is extremely tame and abundant.→