PORZANA.
Bill shorter than head ; nares in a groove and partly covered by membrane; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus.
Porzana porzana (I..). SPOWEI) CRAKE. Poule d'cau marouette ; Ger. Tiipfelsumpfhulin ; Ital. Voltolino ; Swed. Smatlackig Sumphona.
9 Above olive brown, streaked white and with some • black feathers ; forehead, sides of crown, throat, and chest slaty, spotted white ; inner web of inner secondaries reddish brown, outer web like the back ; abdomen whitish, flanks, under wing coverts and axillaries brown barred white, under tail coverts buff. Iris brownish red. Bill olive yellow, orange at base below. Legs and feet yellowish green. Wing 115-12o. Tarsus 31-33. Bill 16-17.
Breeds.—Britain (rare) ; Continental Europe from 65° N. in Norway, and in Finland and Russia to Mediterranean ; N.W. Africa (probably) ; also in W. Asia. Migrates ; more abundant Britain on passage, some winter in S. Europe but majority in N. Africa and S.W. Asia.
Porzana carolina (L.). CAROLINA CRAKE.
Like " porzana " but inner web of inner secondaries same colour as outer web ; throat black. Wing j 103-112. Tarsus 32-35. Bill 16-2o.
An American species ; has occurred several times in British Isles. • Porzana pusilla intermedia (Hermann). BAILLON'S CRAKE. Fr. Poule d'eau Baillon ; Ger. Zwergsumpfhuhn ; Ital. Schiribilla grigiata.
j Above olive brown, streaked black and freckled white ; forehead, face, throat, and underparts slate; lower abdomen, flanks and under tail coverts black barred white ; under wing coverts and axillaries almost uniform brown ; outer margin of 1st primary white. Iris red. Bill dark olive above, below and at base green.
Legs and feet olive brown. Wing a 90-93, 82-84. Tarsus 27-3o. Bill 16. ? Throat white. Young : underparts buff, barred white on flanks and under tail coverts.
Breeds.—Continental Europe south from Holland and Central Germany across to the Urals ; Egypt ; N.W. Africa ; W. Asia ; very rarely in Britain. Migratory ; winters in Africa.
The typical form " P. p. pusilla" is E. Asiatic.
Porzana parva (Scopoli). LITTLE CRAKE. Fr. Poule d'eau poussin ; Ger. Kleines Sumpfhuhn ; Az/. Schiribilla.
,S Larger than Baillon's Crake ; above olive brown with only a few white streaks on scapulars ; beneath blue slate slightly barred white on abdomen and flanks ; outer web of ist primary brown; under wing coverts and axillaries uniform olive grey. Iris red.
• Bill olive green, brighter below, and red at base. Legs and feet brownish green. Wing 8 102-1 I I, Q 9S-1o7. Tarsus 28-32. Bill 16-1S. ? Underparts buff, flanks and under tail coverts brown barred white. Young has outer web of ist primary white, but is known from Baillon's Crake by size.
Breeds.—From Holland, N. Germany, and 59' N. in Russia south throughout Europe ; Algeria and Tunisia (possibly) ; also W. Asia. Migrates; winters chiefly in Mediterranean Basin and S.W. Asia to India. Of occasional occurrence in British Isles, Canaries, and Azores.