En bref

• Scientific Name: Laterallus leucopyrrhus
• Spanish Name: Polluela rojiblanca
• Family: Rallidae
• Known Nicknames: Red-and-white Rail, Red-and-white Crake
• Average Length: 14–16 cm / 5.5–6.3 in
• Average Weight: 30–45 g / 1.1–1.6 oz
• Envergure : N/A
• Key Feature: Bright red bill and legs contrasting with black-and-white barred underparts and chestnut upperparts
• Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement insectivore
• Range: Southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay
• Habitat: Freshwater marshes, wet grasslands, and rice paddies
• Social Structure: Solitary or in Pairs
• Nesting/Breeding: Ground nest hidden in dense vegetation
• Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
• Évolution démographique : En baisse

The Red-and-white Crake (*Laterallus leucopyrrhus*) is a strikingly patterned, secretive rail endemic to South America, favoring the dense, marshy edges of wetlands from Brazil to Argentina. Its most distinctive feature is its bold, contrasting plumage: a rich chestnut-red head, neck, and breast sharply offset by a pure white throat and belly, with dark brown upperparts and barred black-and-white flanks. This small, elusive bird, measuring only about 15 cm (6 inches) in length, is exceptionally difficult to spot as it skulks through reeds and mud, but its unique coloration and a distinctive, repetitive *kee-kee-kee* call betray its presence. A special adaptation includes its long, agile toes, which allow it to walk on floating vegetation without sinking, making it a master of its watery, hidden world.

Faits amusants

Despite its striking red-and-white plumage, this crake is notoriously difficult to spot, possessing a peculiar habit of “walking on water” by using its long toes to scurry across floating vegetation without sinking. It is also a master of deception: when threatened near its nest, the adult will perform a dramatic “broken-wing” display, flapping feebly on the water’s surface to lure predators away from its eggs. Uniquely, it often builds its nest in the middle of shallow water, anchoring it to reeds, which forces chicks to swim within hours of hatching—a rarity among rails.

Habitats et répartition

The Red-and-white Crake inhabits freshwater wetlands, including marshes, flooded grasslands, and the margins of ponds and slow-moving streams, often with dense vegetation like sedges, rushes, or tall grasses. It prefers shallow water and muddy substrates where it can forage for invertebrates. Geographically, this species is restricted to southeastern South America, occurring in southern Brazil (from São Paulo south to Rio Grande do Sul), eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina (primarily in the provinces of Entre Ríos, Corrientes, and Buenos Aires). It is generally resident within this range, though some local movements may occur in response to water levels.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Red-and-white Crake is generally secretive and presumed to be monogamous, with pairs maintaining territories in dense, marshy vegetation. Courtship involves soft calls and posturing, but detailed displays are poorly documented due to their elusive nature. Both sexes likely share nest-building duties, constructing a cup-shaped structure of grasses near water or in a tussock. Clutch size is typically two to three eggs, which are incubated by both parents. A unique reproductive strategy involves the chicks being precocial and nidifugous, leaving the nest shortly after hatching to follow the parents, who feed them by pecking and presenting food directly. This rapid development reduces exposure to nest predation, a common threat for ground-nesting rallids.

Alimentation

The Red-and-white Crake (Laterallus leucopyrrhus) is an omnivorous bird with a diet heavily centered on small aquatic invertebrates and plant matter. It forages by probing the mud and shallow water of marshes, swamps, and wet grasslands, using its bill to capture insects, spiders, snails, and small crustaceans like amphipods. A significant portion of its diet also consists of seeds from aquatic plants and occasionally small frogs or tadpoles. An interesting fact is that this crake is known to follow capybaras and other large herbivores, catching invertebrates flushed from the vegetation by the animals' movement, a behavior that maximizes its foraging efficiency in its dense, marshy habitat.

Couleurs

The Red-and-white Crake exhibits a striking contrast: rich chestnut-rufous upperparts and head sharply demarcated from pure white underparts, throat, and breast. Its flanks and undertail coverts are barred black and white, while the short tail is blackish. No camouflage adaptations are present; instead, its bold coloration may serve as disruptive patterning in dappled marsh light.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.

Détails de l'attraction

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