Scientific name: Porzana pusilla (Pallas, 1776)
Bird group: Rails and Crakes
Field characters. 17-19 cm. Smaller than a Starling. Both sexes very similar to male Little Crake but slightly smaller with more rufous upperparts and flanks boldly barred blackish and white; greyish or fleshy legs, and green bill without red base. In flight shows white leading edge to wing. Male with blue-grey face, throat, and underparts, and under tail-coverts barred black and white. Juvenile very similar to young Little Crake but underparts more strongly barred and upperparts with much more distinct pale markings.
Voice. Male utters a series of creaking, rasping notes "trrrrrr-trrrrr", repeated at short intervals; also various rail-like calls.
Distribution. Imperfectly known because of secretive behaviour; sporadic and irregular breeding bird.
Habitat. Frequents swamps, fens, flooded meadows and natural borders of rivers and lakes.
Food. Obtains food whilst swimming or walking on floating vegetation, taking chiefly aquatic insects. Feeds also on snails, annelids, small crustaceans, plants and seeds.