Band-bellied Crake

Conservation status: NEAR THREATENED
Common name: Band-bellied Crake
Scientific name: Porzana paykullii
Type: Bird
Diet: fishes and worms
Length: 20 – 22 cm (Adult)
Weight: n/a

The Band-bellied Crake is a species of bird that was hidden under the shadows of the Ruddy-breasted crake. It was discovered in Singapore in 2014 by a local bird photographer who took its picture in the Chinese garden. (It can also be found in China, Indonesia, North Korea, South Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam).

This bird has an appearance very similar to the Ruddy-breasted Crake, but it has a thinner beak and an orange-brown plumage covering the front half of its head and neck. Its body is predominantly grey and so are its legs.

Although not much is known about their habitat, they seem to prefer inland freshwater swamps. They are considered near threatened due to loss of habitat.

References:

1. Jeyarajasingam, Allen, and Alan Pearson. A Field Guide To The Birds Of Peninsular Malaysia And Singapore. OUP Oxford, 2012.
2. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/natural-world/last-winter-rare-visitor-to-tropical-singapore-band-bellied-crake-porzana-p/?
3. OwYong, Alan. “Band-Bellied Crake – Singapore’S Very Public Rarity”. Singapore Bird Group, 2015, https://singaporebirdgroup.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/band-bellied-crake-singapores-very-public-rarity/.