HOME>>
DISSEMINATION
INTRO>>
ENVIRONMENTS FLORA-FAUNA DIDACTICS IMAGES GLOSSARY CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
THUMBNAILS
Kingdom Animalia
Click to hear the call
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae
Genus Porzana
Species porzana
Classification Linnaeus, 1766
Common name spotted crake
Size 22 - 24 centimeters
Wing Span 37 - 42 centimeters
Male weight 60 - 115 grams
Female weight 60 - 115 grams

Geographic Range Central and Western Eurasia; it winters in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.
Physical Characteristics little bird tipical of salt marshes, short and roundedwings, it prefers running or swimming rather than flying. The species is not well known, because it can be seen rarely.
Notes the chicks grow very quickly, fed by parents. Both the parents look after them for more than 25 days, after which they are able to fly.
Habitat marshes, flooded areas, river and lakes edges.
Food habits little shellfishes, insects, larvae, worms, seeds.
Migration it nests in Europe and winters in all Mediterranean areas and North Africa.
Nidification it lays 8 - 12 eggs twice a year. Both male and female build the nest with grasses in the thick vegetation near the water. The hatching is made both by male and female for 18 - 19 days.

Sources  
References Eurobirding
Oiseaux.net
Web References http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/
http://www.oiseaux.net/
Source of the photo http://www.rarebirdspain.net/
Source of the call http://aves.desdeinter.net/

Search with Google Porzana porzana

Valid HTML 4.01! Valid CSS!