Scientific name: Rallus aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Rails and Crakes
Field characters. 23-28 cm. Difficult to observe; presence is usually proved by distinctive voice. In contrast to other rails, bill long, red. Upperparts, crown, and hind neck dark olive-brown, streaked black; face, throat, chest, fore-flanks, and fore-belly dark slate-blue; rear-flanks barred black and grey-white; undertail whitish; legs brownish-flesh; flight feathers and tail dark brown. Juvenile with black bill and grey-brown underparts mottled and barred dark.
Voice. A sharp, repeated "kik-kik-kik"; a series of "krueeh, krueeh, krueeh", gradually decreasing in volume; a variety of groaning, screaming, and trilling sounds, usually uttered at dusk or during the night.
Distribution. Fairly common summer visitor and resident.
Habitat. Occurs in reedbeds and swamps; also in swampy borders of rivers and ponds.
Food. Insects and their larvae and, to a lesser extent, snails, annelids, shrimps, small crayfish, and spiders; during autumn and winter also plant material.