What to Know About the Black Crake in Uganda?

The Black Crake in Uganda is one of the African Uganda Bird Species seen during Birding Tours. The black crake is a water bird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. It breeds in mostly along the Kazinga channel in Uganda.

It undertakes some seasonal movements in those parts of its range which are subject to drought. The black crake has a length: 19-23 cm and a body mass from 69-118 g.

How Does the Black Crake in Uganda Look Like?

A South African rail often perched on the back of the large mammals where it gleans parasites. The Black Crake adult has black plumage overall, with washed olive-chestnut upperparts.

But in the wild, this bird appears slaty-black. The bill is bright greenish-yellow. The eyes are red with red, narrow eye-ring.

Legs and feet are bright red. Both sexes are similar. In non-breeding plumage, legs and feet are duller.

The juvenile is brown, with blackish bill, grey to brown eyes, and blackish legs and feet. The immature is dull olive-brown with greenish-black bill, red eyes and brownish-pink legs and feet.

The chick has black down and pale pink bill.

How Does the Black Crake in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

The Black Crake’s advertising call is a duet with one bird giving harsh chatter “krrrok-krrraa” often repeated, whereas the other bird utters soft, purring notes.

Sometimes, other family members join in and they can crouch in circle while calling, giving hysterical wheezy duets.

These loud, piercing sounds are increasing in volume. These duets are often delivered from the dense aquatic vegetation.

The alarm call is a sharp “chip”. Contact calls are softer “pruk” or “bup”. This species is less vocal outside the breeding season.

The Black Crake feeds by day and mainly after the rains. It forages in several types of habitats in addition to wetlands, such as cultivated areas, short grass and dry ground, and it may feed some distance from cover.

It probes into the mud, the dead plants, turns over the fallen leaves to reach invertebrates, and takes food from the ground, the water and the vegetation.

It forages in shallow water by walking slowly. It also perches sometimes on the back of the large mammals such as hippopotami and warthogs, probably for gleaning parasites.

The Black Crake feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, worms, molluscs, insects (adults and larvae), small fish, tadpoles and small frogs.

It also consumes seeds and some parts of the aquatic plants. This bird takes eggs and nestlings from other species such as weavers and herons, and scavenges at small carcasses of crabs, crayfish and small birds.

The Black Crake is often seen feeding in open areas, along the shores, walking on the floating vegetation thanks to its long toes.

How Does the Black Crake in Uganda Nest?

The Black Crake nests in vegetation over water. The nest is a deep, bulky bowl made with reeds, sedges, grasses and several aquatic plants.

It shows a rim of 20-50 cm above the water, but it also can be a floating structure. It may sometimes nest on the ground or in grass tussock close to the water, or even in bushes up to three meters above the ground.

The nest is built by both parents, sometimes helped by young of the previous brood. The male often builds other nests for roosting.

How Does the Black Crake in Uganda Breed?

The black crake is extremely aggressive when breeding and will attack birds of many species, but especially other rails.

It will attack and kill rails of species as large as itself. breeding season may occur all year round in good conditions, with peaks during or following the rains.

How Does the Black Crake in Uganda Reproduce?

The female lays 3 eggs and both parents incubate during about 13-19 days, and can be helped by immature birds.

At hatching, the chicks have black down and they leave the nest very soon, within three days after hatching.

They are fed by both parents and helpers for 3-6 weeks. They can fly at 5-6 weeks old. This species can produce up to four broods per season, the following laying can occur when the chicks are 3 weeks old.

The young remain within the family group until the next breeding season.