Band-bellied Crake

Band-bellied Crake
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Zapornia paykullii

Malay Name: Sintar-Kecil Belacan Berbelang

Chinese Name: 斑胁田鸡

Range: Found from Siberia, Korea to Northeast China and winters to Southeast Asia except the Philippines

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 27 cm

Identification: Resembles Ruddy-breasted Crake but has a stronger, thicker and shorter bill, some narrow whitish and dark bars on wing coverts and the black white bars between flanks and undertail-coverts are more distinctive. Juvenile has paler head-sides and breasts and browner legs than adult.

Similar looking species: Red-legged Crake, Slaty-legged Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake

Habitat: Freshwater wetlands.

Behaviour/Ecology: Very skulking.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, Nov 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Band-bellied Crake Zapornia paykullii
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak weeks Feb 26-Mar 04, Mar 05-Mar 11, Mar 12-Mar 18
Early date 19 Nov 2023
Late date 28 Apr 2019
A globally rare migrant. Like other crakes, can remain inconspicuous and difficult to see.
Band-bellied Crake at Chinese Garden. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Band-bellied Crake at Lor Lada Hitam. Photo credit: Jared Tan
Band-bellied Crake at Chinese Garden. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Band-bellied Crake at Chinese Garden. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Band-bellied Crake at SBG. 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 (Band-bellied Crake)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Zapornia paykullii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692702A93365574.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

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

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Band-bellied Crake. Retrieved on June 15, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/band-bellied-crake.

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