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Chestnut-headed Crake

Anurolimnas castaneiceps

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesRiverineMedium · 126 g
Chestnut-headed Crake (Anurolimnas castaneiceps), photo 1
Photo: Emma Oxford · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-headed Crake (Anurolimnas castaneiceps), photo 2
Photo: Emma Oxford · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-headed Crake (Anurolimnas castaneiceps), photo 3
Photo: (c) Emma Oxford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

ID tip

The chestnut-headed crake is 19 to 21.5 cm (7.5 to 8.5 in) long. One female weighed 126 g (4.4 oz). The sexes are alike. Adults' bills have a mostly black maxilla that is greenish below the nostrils and a greenish mandible with a black tip. The nominate subspecies' forecrown, sides of the head and neck, and breast are bright rufous. Their throat is orange-rufous or light buff. Their crown, back, rump, wing coverts, belly, and vent area are brownish olive. Their legs and feet are dull brown or olivaceous. Voice: The chestnut-headed crake has a loud melodic song described by one author as "a long (lasting up to 5 min) series of tri- or bisyllabic whistles: wee-hoohoo wee-hoohoo wee-hoohoo ...". Its aggressive call is "a quiet puttering sound".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Chestnut-headed Crake

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Chestnut-headed Crake

Regular range

The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Ecuador Peru Brazil Colombia Bolivia

About the Chestnut-headed Crake

The chestnut-headed crake is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is the only species placed in the genus Anurolimnas. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) Red-legged CrakeRallina fasciataIt is a medium-large crake (length 24 cm). Black-tailed Crake (Zapornia bicolor) Black-tailed CrakeZapornia bicolorIt is slate-gray with a chestnut brown back. Horned Coot (Fulica cornuta) Horned CootFulica cornutaHorned coot males average a little larger than the female.

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