Baillon's Crake
Zapornia pusilla (Pallas, 1776)
VC
BAICR
4110
Family: Gruiformes > Rallidae
A small and secretive rail, whose main range is eastern Europe but which also occurs in scattered locations across southern Europe.
Occasional incursions of Baillon's Crakes into north-west Europe have been linked to drought conditions in southern Spain, pushing birds from the breeding sites there to move further north. In such years we sometimes see the presence of calling males at suitable sites here in Britain, though the bird's secretive nature and choice of breeding habitat make it difficult to prove breeding.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Baillon's Crake
SEASONALITY
BTO RECORDS
SEASONALITY
BTO RECORDS
Identification
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Browse training coursesStatus and Trends
Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| Species of European Conservation Concern | Least Concern |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
| BOU Category | A |
|
First Record
|
Suffolk, pre 1819 |
DISTRIBUTION
This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution. There have been a number of recent breeding records in large extensive wetlands, but this habit, and species' nocturnal nature makes detection very difficult.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Baillon's Crake, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.
BIOMETRICS
Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.
Feather measurements and photos on featherbase
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
|
Field Codes
|
2-letter: VC | 5-letter code: BAICR | Euring: 4110 |
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