Baillon’s Crake

Baillon’s Crake

Scientific Name: Zapornia pusilla

Malay Name: Sintar-Kecil Biru Biasa

Chinese Name: 小田鸡

Range: Found from Europe, Africa, India, China, Japan to Indonesia and Australasia. Northern population winters to Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: intermedia, pusilla, mira, mayri, palustris, affinis.

Local Subspecies: pusilla

Size: 19-20.5 cm

Identification: Adult has rich brown upperparts with black streaks and black-edged white markings, pale grey head-sides and anterior underparts, black-and-white bars at posterior underparts and greenish bill and legs. Juvenile resembles adult but lack the pale grey plumage at head-sides and anterior underparts.

Habitat: Marshes and grasslands with dense emergents, floating vegetation and shallow water.

Behaviour/Ecology: Skulking, rarely seen away from reedbeds.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2019)

Location: Punggol Barat, Kranji Marsh, Lorong Halus.

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Feb 2023, Mar 2023, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Jan 2025, Feb 2025, Mar 2025, Apr 2025

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024
Peak weeks Jan 01-Jan 07, Jan 08-Jan 14
Early date 07 Sep 1989
Late date 04 May 2019
Recent sightings have been concentrated in Dec-Mar. A difficult species to see as it often skulks in the undergrowth bordering ponds and marshes.
Juvenile Baillon’s Crake at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Baillon’s Crake at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Baillon’s Crake at Lorong Halus. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Baillon’s Crake at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Baillon’s Crake at Lorong Halus. Photo credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Baillon's Crake)

References:

BirdLife International. (2019). Zapornia pusilla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22692667A154256374.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

Taylor, B. (1998). Rails: A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Yale University Press.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Baillon's Crake. Retrieved on June 13, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/baillons-crake.

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