File:Aenigmatolimnas marginalis, Kgomo-kgomo-vleiland, Birding Weto, a.jpg

Striped Crake

100

Not yet spotted on Fladder

The Striped Crake (Aenigmatolimnas marginalis) is a small, rarely seen rail found in scattered populations across sub-Saharan Africa. Its cryptic striped plumage provides excellent camouflage in its preferred reedy marsh habitats.

Where to spot

Patchily distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, from West Africa to Sudan and south to Angola. Inhabits seasonally flooded grasslands, reedy marshes, and dense vegetation along rivers and lakes.

How to spot

Extremely secretive. Focus on listening for its soft, churring calls from dense reeds, especially at dawn and dusk. Visual observation requires immense patience, often scanning waterlogged vegetation for slight movements.

When to spot

Year-round resident, but its presence is often linked to seasonal rainfall and water levels. Best observed after heavy rains when it might be forced out of its densest cover.

Where to spot

Patchily distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, from West Africa to Sudan and south to Angola. Inhabits seasonally flooded grasslands, reedy marshes, and dense vegetation along rivers and lakes.

How to spot

When to spot

Year-round resident, but its presence is often linked to seasonal rainfall and water levels. Best observed after heavy rains when it might be forced out of its densest cover.

Credits: Wikimedia Commons

This crake is one of the most mysterious and poorly known African rails, often only recorded after heavy rainfall when water levels force it into more open areas.

Spotted Information Sounds Comments