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Baillon's crakes are very secretive in the breeding season, and are then mostly heard rather than seen.
Not listed
Indigenous: Marsh Crake, Little Crake, Little Water Crake
At a glance
FamilyRails, Gallinules, and Coots
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatReedbeds, marsh edges, farm dams, sedgelands, and thick waterside vegetation.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from October to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Sophie REVERDIAU
Range map
Range map
970visible hotspots
18946visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Usually retiring and rarely seen, but can be confiding. Although unmistakeable in parts of its range, it can sometimes co-occur with the similar Little Crake. Best told by its shorter wings, short, greenish bill that lacks red base and barred flanks; juvenile darker and more extensively barred below than juvenile Little Crake.
Behavior
Tiny crake that breeds in wet sedge marshes and bogs; migrants can be in any marshy habitat.
Gallery