Gallicrex cinerea
The Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) is a fascinating, medium-sized rail known for its striking sexual dimorphism, particularly during the breeding season. Males transform into a spectacular, glossy black with a prominent, fleshy red frontal shield, red legs, and a red-tipped yellow bill, reaching lengths of 36-43 cm and weights up to 476g. This dramatic plumage contrasts sharply with the drabber, streaked brown plumage of females and non-breeding males, which are smaller (28-32 cm, 160-298g) an...
Found primarily in dense freshwater wetlands, including marshes, swamps, and especially rice paddies, typically at low elevations.
Feeds on a variety of insects, their larvae, aquatic invertebrates (snails, worms), seeds, and green plant material, foraging by probing and gleaning.
Watercocks are largely crepuscular or nocturnal, making them secretive and difficult to observe during the day, though breeding males can be more conspicuous. They forage by probing in soft mud and shallow water, often alongside dense vegetation, or gleaning from plants. During the breeding seaso...
The Watercock has an extensive distribution across South and Southeast Asia, extending east into East Asia. Its breeding range covers much of the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, through Southeast Asia including Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, and up into China, Ko...
Least Concern
- The name 'Watercock' is incredibly apt, referring to the male's 'cock-like' appearance and behavior during the breeding season, complete with a prominent comb-like frontal shield. - It exhibits one of the most extreme cases of sexual dimorphism among all rail species, where the male's breeding ...