Black Crake

George, Western Cape, South Africa

The black crake is a common resident in much of sub-Saharan Africa apart from very dry regions.

Habitat

The black crake  is found around swamps and other bodies of water, preferably with reed beds and other water plants. The black crake in the photograph above is using its long toes to negotiate lily pads on a small lake in George Botanic Gardens, Western Cape.

Feeding

 It forages for crustaceans, molluscs, insects and larvae, worms, frogs, tadpoles and small fish. It even raids birds' nests for eggs and nestlings of species such as weavers and herons. An omnivore, the black crake also eats seeds and some aquatic plants.

Breeding

The black crake nests on the ground on either  dry ground or amongst march vegetation or even in a bush. Both males and females  build a nest of wetland plants with a deep bowl . Two to six eggs are incubated by both parents and sometimes also by the young from previous clutches. The precocial chicks leave the nest after a couple of days.

Wildfile Special

• Breeding black crakes are very aggressive and will attack and kill birds as large as themselves.