Uniform Crake

The Uniform Crake, Amaurolimnas concolor, is a modestly sized bird, measuring between 20 to 23 cm in length and weighing approximately 95 to 130 grams. Both sexes are similar in appearance, sporting a medium-length yellowish-green bill, a striking red eye, and pinkish-red legs and feet.

Identification Tips

To identify the Uniform Crake, look for its olivaceous brown upperparts and brown underparts in the subspecies A. c. guatemalensis, which is the larger of the two extant subspecies. The A. c. castaneus subspecies also has olivaceous brown above but is distinguished by its rufous brown underparts.

Habitat

This species is known to inhabit a variety of wet to almost dry landscapes, including wooded swamps, flooded forests, heavily vegetated ravines and streams, and dense vegetation on the edges of secondary forest and cultivated areas.

Distribution

The Uniform Crake has a highly disjunct distribution, with subspecies A. c. guatemalensis found from southern Mexico through Central America and into northwestern Ecuador, and A. c. castaneus in northern Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, eastern Ecuador and Peru, and locally in Bolivia. It ranges from sea level to about 1,000 meters in elevation.

Behaviour

The Uniform Crake is a secretive bird, mostly foraging under cover. Its movements, if any, are not well documented.

Song & Calls

The song of the Uniform Crake is a series of upslurred 'tooee' whistles, with pairs maintaining contact through clear, whistled 'tooo' notes. When alarmed, it emits a sharp, nasal 'kek'.

Breeding

Little is known about the breeding habits of the Uniform Crake. In Costa Rica, the breeding season includes July, and the species is thought to be territorial during this time. A nest observed in Costa Rica was a leaf cup atop a vine-covered stump near a stream, containing four eggs.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Uniform Crake includes earthworms, insects and spiders, small amphibians and lizards, seeds, and berries. It forages by searching leaf litter and other detritus and digging in mud with its bill.

Conservation Status

The IUCN has assessed the Uniform Crake as Least Concern. Despite its very large range and unknown population size, which is believed to be decreasing, no immediate threats have been identified. However, the species is likely affected by the destruction of its forest habitats and may be more widely distributed than currently known due to its secretive nature.