Wildlifeof Thailand
Black-tailed Crake
Rallidae
Photo: (c) egorbirder, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Zapornia bicolor
Basic stats
Diet
Invertebrates and seeds
Habitat
Montane marshes, damp grass and stream edges
Range
Himalayas to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia
Size
22–25cm
The black-tailed crake is a dark slate-grey rail with a chestnut back, black tail and red legs. It inhabits montane marshes, damp grass and stream edges from the Himalayas through southern China into mainland Southeast Asia. Usually solitary and secretive, it walks through thick cover and along wet margins for insects, worms and seeds, betraying its presence with sharp calls or brief crossings of openings (Wikipedia, general species account). It is Nationally Endangered (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Black-tailed Crake eat?
- Invertebrates and seeds
- What habitat does the Black-tailed Crake live in?
- Montane marshes, damp grass and stream edges
- Where is the Black-tailed Crake found?
- Himalayas to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia
- How big is the Black-tailed Crake?
- 22–25cm