Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Baillon’s Crake
Zapornia pusilla
Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla) — Cranes & Rails of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Baillon’s Crake (Zapornia pusilla) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 35.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Gruiformes
- Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
- Genus Zapornia
- Species pusilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 35.4 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Rallidae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Baillon’s Crake hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Baillon’s Crake is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Baillon’s Crake (Zapornia pusilla) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family, part of the order Gruiformes. It is found across Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF, OR, AU widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.4 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 3.2 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 19.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Baillon’s Crake?
The Baillon’s Crake is a small bird that weighs around 35.4 g.
Where does the Baillon’s Crake live?
The Baillon’s Crake is found across Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF, OR, AU widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Baillon’s Crake belong to?
The Baillon’s Crake (Zapornia pusilla) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Baillon’s Crake eat?
The Baillon’s Crake hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Baillon’s Crake migrate?
The Baillon’s Crake is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Baillon’s Crake 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 Baillon’s Crake make?
1 real field recording of the Baillon’s Crake — 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 Baillon’s Crake's range?
The Baillon’s Crake has a mapped global range of about 19.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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