White-spotted flufftail

Photo by Dave Curtis (Flickr)

Common name:
white-spotted flufftail (en); frango-d’água-pintado (pt); râle perlé (fr); polluela pulcra (es); perlenralle (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Rallidae

Range:
This species is found is western and central Africa, from Senegal and The Gambia, along the coast of West Africa to Nigeria and then eastwards as far as western Kenya and south wards as far as northern Angola and extreme northern Zambia.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and weigh 39-53 g.

Habitat:
The white-spotted flufftail is mostly found in lowland rainforests, most often in areas associated with water such as swamp forests, marshes, streams, pools and river banks. they are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.600 m.

Diet:
They feed on a wide range of invertebrates, including earthworms, nematodes, small leeches, small gastropods, myriapods, spiders and various insects.

Breeding:
They possible breed during the local rainy season. Otherwise, there is no information regarding the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to locally abundant. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.