Porzana tabuensis
Head and underparts leaden grey with a bluish sheen, upperparts dark brown, undertail black barred with white, bill black, eye and eye–ring red, legs reddish in colour. Spotless crake are more often heard than seen and have a wide variety of calls which are usually heard at dawn and dusk. There are sharp ‘pit–pit’ calls, a single or repeated ‘book’ and a distinctive rolling ‘purr’ call like an alarm clock going off and gradually running down. Plumbea is the subspecies of Australia and New Zealand and the nominate tabuensis the subspecies of the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, Micronesia, Melanesnia and south western Polynesia.
Not Threatened.
Head and underparts leaden grey with a bluish sheen, upperparts dark brown, undertail black barred with white, bill black, eye and eye–ring red, legs reddish in colour. Spotless crake are more often heard than seen and have a wide variety of calls which are usually heard at dawn and dusk. There are sharp ‘pit–pit’ calls, a single or repeated ‘book’ and a distinctive rolling ‘purr’ call like an alarm clock going off and gradually running down. Plumbea is the subspecies of Australia and New Zealand and the nominate tabuensis the subspecies of the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, Micronesia, Melanesnia and south western Polynesia.
20 cm, 45 g,
Taxonomy:
- Rallus tabuensis Gmelin, 1789, Tongatapu Group, Tonga. Forms superspecies with P. atra and P. monasa. Geographical variation slight, and validity of subspecies requires confirmation. Possible race plumbea of S Australia and New Zealand included in nominate tabuensis. Three subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * tabuensis (Gmelin, 1789) - Philippines (Luzon) through Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Is to New Caledonia and SW Pacific islands and E through Micronesia and Polynesia. * edwardi Gyldenstolpe, 1955 - W & C New Guinea. * richardsoni Rand, 1940 - Oranje Mts in C Irian Jaya (W New Guinea).
Common in some offshore islands. May also be found in the raupo swamps. Found in well vegetated freshwater wetlands with rushes, reeds and cumbungi. Will also frequent muddy areas, reedbeds or wetlands.
Feeds on aquatic insects and vegetation. Feeds molluscs, crustaceans, Collembola, adult and larval insect. spiders, aggs
Breeds from August to December. Nest is a shallow cup of grass, plants, often with a clumsy canopy. Clutch size three to five. Monogamous, possibly pairs for life. Record of 3 adults accompanying youngs.