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White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก

The White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls.

Distribution and habitat
Their breeding habitat is marshes across tropical Asia from Pakistan east to Indonesia. They are mainly seen in the plains but have been known from the higher hills such as in Nainital (1300m) and the High Range (1500m) in Kerala.

These large 32 cm long rails are permanent residents throughout their range. They make short distance movements and are known to colonize new areas.

They have been noted as some of the early colonizers on the volcanic island of Rakata. Although most often found near freshwater, they are also found near brackish water and even the seashore when there is no freshwater as on the volcanic Barren Island in the Andamans.

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
The approximate distribution of the white-breasted waterhen


White-breasted Waterhen having an afternoon preening
Singapore Botanical Garden - September 2018

Description
Adult white-breasted waterhens have mainly dark grey upperparts and flanks, and a white face, neck and breast. The lower belly and undertail are cinnamon coloured. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds or undergrowth. They have long toes, a short tail and a yellow bill and legs.

Sexes are similar but females measure slightly smaller. Immature birds are much duller versions of the adults. The downy chicks are black, as with all rails.

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
Very young White-breasted Waterhen baby
Novotel, Chumphon, Thailand - June 2020

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
Very young White-breasted Waterhen baby
Novotel, Chumphon, Thailand - June 2020

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
Very young White-breasted Waterhen baby
Novotel, Chumphon, Thailand - June 2020

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen babies
Samut Sakhon, Thailand - August 2020

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen babies
Samut Sakhon, Thailand - August 2020

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen babies
Samut Sakhon, Thailand - August 2020

White-breasted Waterhen babies
Samut Sakhon, Thailand - August 2020

Several subspecies are named for the populations that are widely distributed. The nominate subspecies is described from Sri Lanka but is often widened to include chinensis of mainland India and adjoining regions in Asia, west to Arabia and east nearly to Japan.

The remaining subspecies are those from islands and include insularis of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, midnicobaricus of the central Nicobars, leucocephala of Car Nicobar, maldivus of the Maldives, javanicus of Java and leucomelanus of Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas.

Behaviour and ecology
These birds are usually seen singly or in pairs as they forage slowly along the edge of a waterbody mainly on the ground but sometimes clambering up low vegetation. The tail is held up and jerked as they walk. They probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight.

White-breasted Waterhen feeding on the lawn
Singapore Botanical Garden - September 2018

They mainly eat insects (large numbers of beetles have been recorded), small fish (which are often carefully washed in water), aquatic invertebrates and grains or seeds such as those of Pithecolobium dulce. They may sometimes feed in deeper water in the manner of a moorhen.

The nesting season is mainly June to October but varies locally. They nest in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 6-7 eggs. Courtship involves bowing, billing and nibbling. The eggs hatch in about 19 days.

Both sexes incubate the eggs and take care of the chicks. Chicks often dive underwater to escape predation.

Adults are said to build a roost or brood nest where young chicks and the adults roost.

Many rails are very secretive, but white-breasted waterhens are often seen out in the open. They can be noisy especially at dawn and dusk, with loud croaky calls.

The Andamans population insularis is said to make duck like quack calls.



In culture
Local names of this bird are often formed by onomatopoeia (based on the sound it makes), for example ruak-ruak in Malay and korawakka in Sinhala.; although differently formed local names are also not uncommon, such as "Dahuk" in Bengali (used in Bangladesh and the Bengali-speaking areas of India) and "Dauk" (ডাউক) in Assamese.

The naturalist writer Eha humorously describes the call of this species: “It began with loud harsh roars which might have been elicited from a bear by roasting it slowly over a large fire, then suddenly changed to a clear note repeated like the coo of a dove”

Listen to the White-breasted Waterhen






Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder, high pass filter with Audacity

I was at the Botanical Garden watching two waterhens.

Waterhens are usually very shy but as soon as you play their sound the come running

I started a recording and the birds came rushing looking where the sound came from. They made a terrible noise



www.xeno-canto.org


I had a good time watching a White-breasted Waterhen couple. It was very fun to watch the birds. They were very scared and they took off as soon as they spotted me. Hiding in the bushes very shy. But as soon as I played the White-breasted Waterhen sound they came out and they started a terrible noise.

Listen to the White-breasted Waterhen
Own recording from Botanical Garden in Singapore - 3 November 2017


Conservation status
White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.birdforum.net


Sighted: 20th of September 2017
Location: Tanjung Aru Beach/ Prince Philip Park in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo


White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen - Amaurornis phoenicurus - นกกวัก - 20 September 2017
Tanjung Aru Beach/ Prince Philip Park in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 3 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 11 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 11 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 11 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 11 November 2017 - Botanical Garden, Singapore

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก - 1 September 2018 - Botanical Garden, Singapore



PLEASE! If I have made any mistakes identifying any bird, PLEASE let me know on my guestbook



       
                  



                                       
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