Spotted Crake
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Porzana porzana
Rare erratic Summer visitors with 25 pairs breeding in Britain & autumn migrant of 25-50 per year & declining.
The population is particularly scattered right across Europe.
Breeds in Western Europe.
Winters in the Mediterranean south to South Africa.
Adults have mainly brown upperparts and blue-grey breast, with dark barring and white spots on the flanks.
They have green legs with long toes, and a short tail which is buff underneath.
Juveniles are are similar, but the blue-grey is replaced by brown.
The downy chicks are black, as with all Rails.
The call is a distinctive repetitive whiplash-like hwuit, hwuit call.