Baillon's Crake vs Black Crake

Baillon's Crake

Zapornia pusilla

Small35 gWetland

They are 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) in length, and are similar in appearance to the little crake. Baillon's crake has a short straight bill, yellow or green without a red base. Adults have mainly ochre-brown upperparts streaked through occasionally with black and white markings. Their underparts are a light blue-grey, paler on the throat, breast and abdomen. The flanks and under-tail are barred black and white. They have olive-green legs with long toes. Immature Baillon's crakes are similar to the adults, but have extensively barred, duller underparts. The chicks are black, as with all rails.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Genêts, Manche, Normandy, France · CC0

Photo: (c) Вячеслав Юсупов, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Black Crake

Zapornia flavirostra

Medium86 gWetland

The adult black crake is 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) long with a short tail and long toes. As its name implies, the adult has mainly black plumage, with a brown olive tone on the wings and upperparts which is rarely detectable in the field. The eye is red, the bill is yellow (hence the flavirostra of the binomial name), and the legs and feet are red, duller when not breeding. The sexes are similar, but the male is slightly larger. Most males, but only 10% of females, have a hooked upper mandible. The immature bird has brown upperparts and a dark grey head and underparts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Kileo Jumah · Song · Kisangara, Mwanga, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania · CC0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Baillon's Crake and Black Crake.