The red-legged crake is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found from the eastern Indian Subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia through the Malay Peninsula and Sundaland islands. It frequents lowland forests, swamp forests, dense secondary growth, overgrown plantations, and rice paddies near freshwater. The species keeps close to shaded, damp ground with thick cover along streams and forest edges. After heavy rains it may appear in more open, suburban green spaces. It is an occasional vagrant to northern Australia.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The red-legged crake is a secretive rail that skulks through dense, wet undergrowth, often remaining unseen even where common. It is most active at dawn and dusk and may wander after heavy rains, which sometimes brings it into parks and gardens. Northern populations show some seasonal movements and it is an occasional vagrant to northern Australia. Its striking red legs and barred underparts make brief views memorable.
Red-legged crake and chick
Temperament
secretive and shy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, keeping close to dense ground cover near water. Nests are shallow cups concealed in thick vegetation on or just above the ground. Both sexes are believed to share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Breeding often coincides with rainy periods when food is abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives repetitive, clucking and rattling series, often a sharp kek-kek-kek accelerating and tapering off. Calls are most frequent at dusk and night, carrying well through dense vegetation.
Plumage
Rich rufous-chestnut head and upperparts with boldly black-and-white barred underparts. Throat and upper breast paler, often buffy, contrasting with the heavy barring on the belly and flanks. Feathers appear smooth and sleek, aiding its stealthy movement through dense cover.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of invertebrates and plant material, including beetles, ants, termites, worms, snails, and small crustaceans. It also takes seeds, fallen fruits, and tender shoots. Foraging is mostly by probing and gleaning in leaf litter and soft mud, often pausing to listen before striking. Opportunistic after rains, it exploits flushes of insects and other invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages along shaded stream margins, puddled trails, swampy forest floors, and the edges of rice fields. It sticks to dense undergrowth and tangles where it can move unseen, occasionally venturing into wetter lawns and gardens during wet spells.
