White-browed Crake

1. Black facial mask bordered by two white stripes.

2. Red eyes that stand out against its grey and brown plumage.

3. Olive-green legs visible when moving through open areas.

These birds breed during the wet season (January to May), constructing shallow cup-shaped nests hidden in dense vegetation or occasionally elevated above water. Both parents share incubation duties and care for their chicks, which are coal-black at hatching and leave the nest shortly after birth. Their diet includes insects, aquatic invertebrates, and seeds of wetland plants.

White-browed Crakes inhabit tropical wetlands across northern Australia, from the Kimberley to northern Queensland. They prefer shallow water with dense aquatic vegetation, such as water lilies and reeds. Early mornings and evenings are the best times to observe these birds as they forage in more open areas. Their loud "chika-chika" call often reveals their presence before they are seen.

The White-browed Crake is native to Australia and Southeast Asia, with populations moving between Australia and New Guinea following seasonal rainfall patterns that create or dry up suitable wetland habitats.