Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-breasted Crake
Laterallus exilis
Grey-breasted Crake (Laterallus exilis) — Cranes & Rails of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-breasted Crake (Laterallus exilis) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 33.5 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 Laterallus
- Species exilis
Where it lives
Guatemala through Amazonia and southeastern SA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33.5 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Rallidae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-breasted Crake hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Grey-breasted Crake is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-breasted Crake (Laterallus exilis) belongs to the Rallidae family of the order Gruiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Guatemala through Amazonia and se SA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 3.4 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 6.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-breasted Crake?
The Grey-breasted Crake is a small bird that weighs around 33.5 g.
Where does the Grey-breasted Crake live?
The Grey-breasted Crake is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Guatemala through Amazonia and se SA, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Grey-breasted Crake belong to?
The Grey-breasted Crake (Laterallus exilis) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Grey-breasted Crake eat?
The Grey-breasted Crake hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Grey-breasted Crake migrate?
The Grey-breasted Crake is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-breasted 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 Grey-breasted Crake make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-breasted Crake — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-breasted Crake's range?
The Grey-breasted Crake has a mapped global range of about 6.6 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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