Porzana porzana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GRUIFORMES	RALLIDAE

Scientific Name:

Porzana porzana

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Spotted Crake
French	–	Marouette ponctuée

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

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 appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not 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; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burundi; Chad; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Netherlands; Nigeria; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Cameroon; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Faroe Islands; Gambia; Greenland; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Mali; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Saint Helena; Seychelles; Somalia; Thailand; Uganda
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burundi; Chad; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Netherlands; Nigeria; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Cameroon; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Faroe Islands; Gambia; Greenland; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Mali; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Saint Helena; Seychelles; Somalia; Thailand; Uganda

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is fully migratory¹. Its Autumn dispersal to its wintering grounds beginning mid-July⁴, with the species returning to reoccupy its breeding grounds from April¹. The species breeds in Europe from April to July and in the former USSR from May to July¹. Early migrating birds (mainly juveniles) often moult in August during stops on migration, during which they become flightless for c.3 weeks^{1, 3, 4}. The species is territorial throughout both breeding and non-breeding seasons¹ and is usually seen singly, in pairs or in family groups, although occasionally small groups of 2-4 individuals may forage together on migration³. It normally roosts at night in thick vegetation and forages by day (although this behaviour is reversed when migrating)². Habitat The species inhabits similar habitats in both its breeding and winter ranges^{1, 2, 3}, and generally requires very shallow water (less than c.15 cm deep, typically foraging in water less than 7 cm deep) that is rich in invertebrate food and is interspersed with stands of low vegetation cover³. The species shows a preference for freshwater wetlands with a range of water depths or where water levels vary seasonally ¹, especially where these have a mixture of muddy, moist and shallowly flooded substrates^{1, 2} and a dense covering of grass, sedges, rushes, Polygonum, Iris, Equisetum and other emergents, as well as trees (e.g. Acacia, Sesbania, Betula, Salix and Alnus)¹. Suitable habitats include seasonal and permanent marshes and fens^{1, 3}, bogs, damp meadows, the edges of drainage ditches³, swamps, seasonally flooded pans², pools in flooded grassland, grassy margins of reservoirs and lakes, slow-flowing rivers and sewage settling-ponds^{1, 2, 3}. Diet The species is omnivorous, its diet consisting of small aquatic insect adults and larvae (e.g. Trichoptera, Odonata, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and ants), earthworms, molluscs^{1, 3}, arachnids¹ (e.g. spiders and water mites)³ and small stranded fish (1-2 cm long)², as well as algae and the shoots, leaves, roots and seeds of Panicum, Oryza, Carex and Schoenoplectus^{1 ,3}. Breeding site The nest is a thick-walled cup of plant matter, usually placed in thick vegetation near or over standing water, or alternatively in a tussock, or built up well above the water level¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is fully migratory¹. Its Autumn dispersal to its wintering grounds beginning mid-July⁴, with the species returning to reoccupy its breeding grounds from April¹. The species breeds in Europe from April to July and in the former USSR from May to July¹. Early migrating birds (mainly juveniles) often moult in August during stops on migration, during which they become flightless for c.3 weeks^{1, 3, 4}. The species is territorial throughout both breeding and non-breeding seasons¹ and is usually seen singly, in pairs or in family groups, although occasionally small groups of 2-4 individuals may forage together on migration³. It normally roosts at night in thick vegetation and forages by day (although this behaviour is reversed when migrating)². Habitat The species inhabits similar habitats in both its breeding and winter ranges^{1, 2, 3}, and generally requires very shallow water (less than c.15 cm deep, typically foraging in water less than 7 cm deep) that is rich in invertebrate food and is interspersed with stands of low vegetation cover³. The species shows a preference for freshwater wetlands with a range of water depths or where water levels vary seasonally ¹, especially where these have a mixture of muddy, moist and shallowly flooded substrates^{1, 2} and a dense covering of grass, sedges, rushes, Polygonum, Iris, Equisetum and other emergents, as well as trees (e.g. Acacia, Sesbania, Betula, Salix and Alnus)¹. Suitable habitats include seasonal and permanent marshes and fens^{1, 3}, bogs, damp meadows, the edges of drainage ditches³, swamps, seasonally flooded pans², pools in flooded grassland, grassy margins of reservoirs and lakes, slow-flowing rivers and sewage settling-ponds^{1, 2, 3}. Diet The species is omnivorous, its diet consisting of small aquatic insect adults and larvae (e.g. Trichoptera, Odonata, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and ants), earthworms, molluscs^{1, 3}, arachnids¹ (e.g. spiders and water mites)³ and small stranded fish (1-2 cm long)², as well as algae and the shoots, leaves, roots and seeds of Panicum, Oryza, Carex and Schoenoplectus^{1 ,3}. Breeding site The nest is a thick-walled cup of plant matter, usually placed in thick vegetation near or over standing water, or alternatively in a tussock, or built up well above the water level¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is vulnerable to changes in water levels, either through artificial wetland modification and drainage, or through climatic changes^{1, 2}. Numbers have declined over the past century in Europe due to wetland drainage^{1, 2}, and the species is threatened by wetland destruction in Africa^{1, 2}.

Major Threat(s):

This species is vulnerable to changes in water levels, either through artificial wetland modification and drainage, or through climatic changes^{1, 2}. Numbers have declined over the past century in Europe due to wetland drainage^{1, 2}, and the species is threatened by wetland destruction in Africa^{1, 2}.

Bibliography [top]

	del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. Taylor, B.; van Perlo, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. 1986. The birds of Africa vol. II. Academic Press, London.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.

Taylor, B.; van Perlo, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.

Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. 1986. The birds of Africa vol. II. Academic Press, London.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Porzana porzana. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012.
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