BirdUp · Species
White-breasted Waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus(Pennant, 1769)
- Order
- GRUIFORMES
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Amaurornis
At a glance
The White-breasted Waterhen is a medium-sized bird, about 28–33 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It is best seen in summer.
- Size
- 28–33 cm
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
- Origin
- Native
- Best seen
- Summer
- Commonness
- Restricted
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does a White-breasted Waterhen look like?
The White-breasted Waterhen is a medium-sized bird, about 28–33 cm long and weighing 166–328 g.
The white-breasted waterhen is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. 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.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a White-breasted Waterhen?
The White-breasted Waterhen is recorded across its Australian range mainly in January, February, March, April, November and December.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
What does a White-breasted Waterhen eat?
The White-breasted Waterhen feeds on seeds, foliage/herbs, terrestrial invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.
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