Black Crake
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Swartriethaan  Black CrakeAmaurornis flavirostris Kruger National Park |
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Description - The sexes are alike. The feathers are all black. The birds have a bright greenish lemon yellow bill, red eyes en bright red legs when breeding, dull red when not breeding In juveniles the upper parts are dark olive, the throat whitish, and the remainder of the underparts dark grey.
Distribution - Widely distributed in sub-saharan Africa, except in the drier areas. In South Africa mostly found in the northeast.
Habitat - A shy bird which, although common, can be difficult to see. Most often found in vegetation alongside still, flowing and open fresh and estuarine waters, where it hides in reeds, Papyrus and swampy thickets. Climbs, roosts and nests in tangled growth.
Biological - The Black Crake is solitary, occurs in pairs or sometimes small groups. It is largely sedentary. 19-23 cm, ca 90 g.
Diet - The bird pecks food from mud surfacewater plants and from the water surface, and climbs reeds to catch flying insects. The diet includes aquatic insects, earthworms, molluscs, crustaceans, larvae, small frogs and tadpoles, small fish, flying insects caught from reeds, seeds and other parts of water plants.
Breeding - The Black Crake is a monogamous, cooperative breeder and solitary nester. It is territorial, establishing its territory at the start of breedings season. The hen produces 2-6 eggs at 1 day intervals. Incubation takes 13-19 days, and is taken care of by both sexes. The fledging period is about 35 days.
Other names - Amaurornis flavirostra - F Râle à bec jaune, Marouette noire - D Mohrensumpfhuhn - ES Polluela Negra Africana - S Korprall - NL Zwart Porseleinhoen - IT Gallinella dal becco giallo
Weblinks
Kenya Birds
John Voelcker Bird Book Fund
Books
Ian Sinclair - A photographic guide to birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-553-7
Ian Sinclair et al. - Sasol birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-033-0
Kenneth Newman - Newman se voëls van Suider-Afrika. SAPPI. ISBN 1-868-12-758-3