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Russet-crowned crake
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Genus:	Rufirallus
Species:	R. viridis
Binomial name
	Rufirallus viridis; (Müller, PLS, 1776)
Synonyms
	Anurolimnas viridis; Laterallus viridis;

The russet-crowned crake (Rufirallus viridis) is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Taxonomy and systematics

The russet-crowned crake's taxonomy is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) place the russet-crowned crake in genus Rufirallus with the chestnut-headed crake (R. castaneiceps). The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy place it in genus Anurolimnas with the chestnut-headed crake and black-banded crake (A. fasciatus). The IOC places the latter species in genus Laterallus and HBW places it in genus Porzana.^[2]^[3]^[5]^[6]

The worldwide taxonomic systems agree that the species has two subspecies, the nominate R.(or A.) v. viridis and R.(or A.) v. brunnescens.^[2]^[3]^[6]

Description

The russet-crowned crake is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long. Males weigh 55 to 63 g (1.9 to 2.2 oz) and females 69 to 73 g (2.4 to 2.6 oz). The sexes are alike. Adults have a black bill, red legs, gray face, and russet crown. The nominate subspecies has brownish olive upperparts and rufous underparts. Juveniles are light brown with a black face and dull pink legs. Adults of R. v. brunnescens are slightly larger than the nominate and have browner upperparts and a paler head and underparts.^[7]

Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of russet-crowned crake is widely distributed from far eastern Colombia and southern Venezuela east through the Guianas into Brazil and south and west into eastern Peru, northern and eastern Bolivia, and eastern Paraguay. A separate population is found in Ecuador's Zamora-Chinchipe Province and another in southeastern Brazil between the states of Alagoas and São Paulo. R. v. brunnescens is found in north-central Colombia from the lower Cauca River valley east into the middle Magdalena River valley.^[7]

The russet-crowned crake mostly inhabits terrestrial landscapes; in contrast to many other species in its family it is usually not found in marshes. It is found in second-growth sapling thickets, grassy or brushy pastures, overgrown wastelands and roadsides, and gardens at the edges of small communities. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).^[7]

Behavior

Movement

The russet-crowned crake's movements, if any, have not been documented.^[7]

Feeding

Almost nothing is known about the russet-crowned crake's foraging behavior or diet. It is known to mostly feed in cover and its diet includes insects and grass seeds.^[7]

Breeding

The russet-crowned crake's breeding season spans from January to June. It makes a ball-shaped nest with a side entrance from dead grass. It is typically hidden about 1 m (3 ft) up in a shrub or in other dense vegetation. The clutch size is one to three eggs, but nothing else is known about its breeding biology.^[7]

Songs and calls

Listen to russet-crowned crake on xeno-canto

Vocalization

The russet-crowned crake is most vocal in early morning and evening.^[7] Its call has been described as a "dry rattling like the sound of a seashell wind chime".^[8]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the russet-crowned crake as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range but its population size and trend are not known. No immediate threats have been identified.^[1] The nominate subspecies is believed to be common across much of its range but R. v. brunnescens' status is not known.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b BirdLife International (2016). "Russet-crowned Crake Rufirallus viridis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22692323A93348374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692323A93348374.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Flufftails, finfoots, rails, trumpeters, cranes, limpkin". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip retrieved August 7, 2022
^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
^ ^a ^b Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved November 10, 2022
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Taylor, B. (2020). Russet-crowned Crake (Anurolimnas viridis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.ruccra1.01 retrieved November 25, 2022
^ van Perlo, Ber (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-19-530155-7.