Baillon's Crake

Zapornia pusilla (Pallas, 1776) VC BAICR 4110
Family: Gruiformes > Rallidae

Baillons Crake, Brendan Doe

A small and secretive rail, whose main range is eastern Europe but which also occurs in scattered locations across southern Europe.

Occasional incursions of Baillon's Crakes into north-west Europe have been linked to drought conditions in southern Spain, pushing birds from the breeding sites there to move further north. In such years we sometimes see the presence of calling males at suitable sites here in Britain, though the bird's secretive nature and choice of breeding habitat make it difficult to prove breeding.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Baillon's Crake

  • Breeding
  • Winter
Occasional Breeder, Accidental

SEASONALITY

121 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
121 records

BTO RECORDS

Occasional Breeder, Accidental

SEASONALITY

121 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
121 records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution. There have been a number of recent breeding records in large extensive wetlands, but this habit, and species' nocturnal nature makes detection very difficult.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Baillon's Crake, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

BIOMETRICS

Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Welsh: Rhegen Baillon
Catalan: rasclet europeu
Czech: chrástal nejmenší
Danish: Dværgrørvagtel
Dutch: Kleinst Waterhoen
Estonian: värbhuik
Finnish: kääpiöhuitti
French: Marouette de Baillon
German: Zwergsumpfhuhn
Hungarian: törpevízicsibe
Icelandic: Dvergrella
Irish: Gearr Baillon
Italian: Schiribilla grigiata
Latvian: ceru ormanitis
Lithuanian: mažoji švygžda
Norwegian: Dvergrikse
Polish: karliczka (zwyczajna)
Portuguese: franga-d'água-pequena
Slovak: chriašt najmenší
Slovenian: pritlikava tukalica
Spanish: Polluela chica
Swedish: dvärgsumphöna

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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