Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Watercock

Gallicrex cinerea

Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) — Cranes & Rails of South & Southeast Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of India Birds of Japan Birds of Malaysia Birds of the Philippines Birds of Thailand Birds of Western Australia

By family

Rails, Crakes & Coots of Australia Rails, Crakes & Coots of Indonesia Rails, Crakes & Coots of India Rails, Crakes & Coots of Japan Rails, Crakes & Coots of Malaysia Rails, Crakes & Coots of the Philippines Rails, Crakes & Coots of Thailand Rails, Crakes & Coots of Western Australia

See what's near you right now

The Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) is a member of the Rallidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 390 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
Genus Gallicrex
Species cinerea

Where it lives

Pakistan and Maldives through northeastern China, Korean Pen., Ryukyu Is. (Japan) through Philippines and Greater Sundas

South & Southeast Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 390 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Watercock is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Watercock is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family, part of the order Gruiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Pakistan and Maldives through ne China, Korean Pen., Ryukyu Is. (Japan) through Philippines and Greater Sundas.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 390 g, with a wing length of about 18.6 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 10.9 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Watercock — Song

Recorded by JJSUN Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Watercock?

The Watercock is a large bird that weighs around 390 g.

Where does the Watercock live?

The Watercock is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Pakistan and Maldives through ne China, Korean Pen., Ryukyu Is. (Japan) through Philippines and Greater Sundas, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Watercock belong to?

The Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Watercock eat?

The Watercock is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Watercock migrate?

The Watercock is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Watercock endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Watercock make?

1 real field recording of the Watercock — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Watercock's range?

The Watercock has a mapped global range of about 10.9 million km².