Porzana pusilla

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GRUIFORMES	RALLIDAE

Scientific Name:

Porzana pusilla

Species Authority:

(Pallas, 1776)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Baillon's Crake, Marsh Crake
French	–	Marouette de Baillon

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Singapore; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Cameroon; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Finland; Hong Kong; Ireland; Luxembourg; Slovakia; Sweden; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Singapore; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Cameroon; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Finland; Hong Kong; Ireland; Luxembourg; Slovakia; Sweden; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour African and Australasian populations of this species are non-migratory or only make local movements in response to seasonal habitat changes¹. Those populations in Europe and Asia however appear to be fully migratory¹, most flying southward from late-August to October and returning to the northern breeding areas from March to May². The species breeds in solitary pairs^{3, 4} in the spring, usually nesting during or just after the wet season (where this occurs)¹. It is usually a solitary species, but can be found in pairs or family groups, and sometimes forages in small groups of up to 10 individuals in non-breeding areas². The species forages diurnally but is most active in the early morning and late afternoon or evening¹. Habitat The species frequents similar habitats throughout its range and throughout the year^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, although its breeding areas are characterised by low, dense, tussocky or continuous vegetation such as flooded sedges and grasses¹. It inhabits freshwater, brackish or saline marshy wetlands^{1, 5}, both inland and coastal (Australasia)⁵, permanent and temporary, with dense emergent and floating vegetation¹ (especially reeds, rushes, sedges, tall dense grasses and Typha spp.)³. Typical habitats include marshes, swamps, peat bogs, flooded meadows^{1, 2, 3}, damp grassland¹, seasonally flooded pans⁶ and depressions, tussocky grassland interspersed with patches of mud on the margins of open water^{1, 2, 3}(e.g. lakes and reservoirs)^{3, 5}, pools in sand-dunes^{1, 5}, swampy creeks, rivers⁵ and streams³, tall reedbeds (2-3 m high)² with extensive mud, shallow puddles and Sesbania bushes¹, and occasionally salt-marsh^{1, 5}. The species also frequents marshy artificial wetlands such as irrigated fields of crops (e.g. rice)^{1, 5}, sewage ponds^{1, 2, 5}, salt-works^{2, 5}, farm ponds^{1, 3, 5} and dense grassy vegetation in rural residential areas^{1, 5}. Although the species shows a preference for shallowly flooded areas, breeding birds may occupy grassland and sedges flooded to a depth of 30 cm and will occur on floating vegetation or in tall shrubs flooded to a depth of 2 m². Diet Its diet consists predominantly of adult and larval insects (e.g. beetles, bugs, Odonata, stoneflies, caddisflies, flies and mosquitos)^{1, 2}, as well as annelids¹ (up to 10 cm long)², molluscs, small crustaceans (e.g. ostracods and copepods), small fish¹ (up to 2 cm long)², amphibians², and vegetative plant material and seeds¹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow cup or platform of vegetation placed close to water on a grass tussock or in soft grass, usually 4-60 cm above the water level¹. Occasionally the nest may be floating or anchored to vegetation in water, or placed in or under low bushes¹. Management information Changes in water level during the nesting period should be avoided, cutting and burning of vegetation near the waters edge should be controlled and the maintenance of natural vegetation around fish ponds and rice-fields should be encouraged².
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour African and Australasian populations of this species are non-migratory or only make local movements in response to seasonal habitat changes¹. Those populations in Europe and Asia however appear to be fully migratory¹, most flying southward from late-August to October and returning to the northern breeding areas from March to May². The species breeds in solitary pairs^{3, 4} in the spring, usually nesting during or just after the wet season (where this occurs)¹. It is usually a solitary species, but can be found in pairs or family groups, and sometimes forages in small groups of up to 10 individuals in non-breeding areas². The species forages diurnally but is most active in the early morning and late afternoon or evening¹. Habitat The species frequents similar habitats throughout its range and throughout the year^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, although its breeding areas are characterised by low, dense, tussocky or continuous vegetation such as flooded sedges and grasses¹. It inhabits freshwater, brackish or saline marshy wetlands^{1, 5}, both inland and coastal (Australasia)⁵, permanent and temporary, with dense emergent and floating vegetation¹ (especially reeds, rushes, sedges, tall dense grasses and Typha spp.)³. Typical habitats include marshes, swamps, peat bogs, flooded meadows^{1, 2, 3}, damp grassland¹, seasonally flooded pans⁶ and depressions, tussocky grassland interspersed with patches of mud on the margins of open water^{1, 2, 3}(e.g. lakes and reservoirs)^{3, 5}, pools in sand-dunes^{1, 5}, swampy creeks, rivers⁵ and streams³, tall reedbeds (2-3 m high)² with extensive mud, shallow puddles and Sesbania bushes¹, and occasionally salt-marsh^{1, 5}. The species also frequents marshy artificial wetlands such as irrigated fields of crops (e.g. rice)^{1, 5}, sewage ponds^{1, 2, 5}, salt-works^{2, 5}, farm ponds^{1, 3, 5} and dense grassy vegetation in rural residential areas^{1, 5}. Although the species shows a preference for shallowly flooded areas, breeding birds may occupy grassland and sedges flooded to a depth of 30 cm and will occur on floating vegetation or in tall shrubs flooded to a depth of 2 m². Diet Its diet consists predominantly of adult and larval insects (e.g. beetles, bugs, Odonata, stoneflies, caddisflies, flies and mosquitos)^{1, 2}, as well as annelids¹ (up to 10 cm long)², molluscs, small crustaceans (e.g. ostracods and copepods), small fish¹ (up to 2 cm long)², amphibians², and vegetative plant material and seeds¹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow cup or platform of vegetation placed close to water on a grass tussock or in soft grass, usually 4-60 cm above the water level¹. Occasionally the nest may be floating or anchored to vegetation in water, or placed in or under low bushes¹. Management information Changes in water level during the nesting period should be avoided, cutting and burning of vegetation near the waters edge should be controlled and the maintenance of natural vegetation around fish ponds and rice-fields should be encouraged².

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is threatened by degradation and loss of seasonal and ephemeral wetlands owing to drainage, overgrazing, cultivation^{1, 2}, reed-cutting, reed-burning and sudden changes in water levels caused by discharges from large dams². The species also suffers high mortality during migration from collisions with powerlines².

Major Threat(s):

The species is threatened by degradation and loss of seasonal and ephemeral wetlands owing to drainage, overgrazing, cultivation^{1, 2}, reed-cutting, reed-burning and sudden changes in water levels caused by discharges from large dams². The species also suffers high mortality during migration from collisions with powerlines².

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Porzana pusilla. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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