Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
The largest concern for this species is the one common to most tropical birds. Deforestation and habitat destruction have lowered the populations of the ruddy crake. These birds have benefited from the parks and land preserved by governments and concerned groups.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
The ruddy crake has no major economic value. Money from bird watchers and ecotourists can be accounted for but this species is not of major interest since other tropical birds are of greater interest.
Laterallus ruber feed on the invertebrates and plants they can find living at the surface or just beneath the surface of the water. This species will also feed from the mud and decaying plants in wetlands and in pools formed in large tree crevices. They mainly prey on water snails and insects such as water beetles, mayflies and mosquitoes, as well as their larvae. Water plants and grass may also be eaten but this is unconfirmed.
(Miller and Miller 1987)
Laterallus ruber is found in the northern parts of South America and into the southern areas of North America. The highest densities found of the ruddy crake are in Columbia and Central America. This species favors the wetlands and wet forests throughout these areas.
(Peterson 1980)
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Wet forests and swamps support Laterallus ruber.
Laterallus ruber superficially resembles other rails. This species has the characteristic short conical bill. The legs are long with wide spreading feet to move around in wet areas. The body shape resembles a water drop when the neck is extended. The feathers on the head are dull black. The rufous wings and the back have a reddish brown coloring mingled with brown and black. The male has a rusty red colored breast similar to the color of a ruddy duck. The female is only slightly more drab than the male. The tail is very short and stubby. A rusty colored stripe envelopes the dark eyes of the crake.
(Miller and Miller 1987)
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Information on reproduction is unavailable on Laterallus ruber. This information is general to crakes.
Crakes generally lay 6-12 eggs in a nest made among tall aquatic plants at the waters edge. Both male and female brood them in turn for up to 3 weeks. As incubation starts before all the eggs are laid, the chicks emerge at intervals over a period of several days. They can leave the nest shortly after hatching. After the eggs have hatched, the male cares for them while his mate incubates the younger eggs. After all the eggs have hatched, both parents guard the chicks, feeding them until they are a week old. Sometimes the chicks split into two parties, each under the charge of one parent.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
The ruddy crake (Laterallus ruber) is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae. Other names the ruddy crake is known by are "red rail", "ruddy rail" and "red crake".[2]
The ruddy crake can be identified by its ruddy plumage that can vary in shade and gray head with dark brown wings and tail.[3] It is mostly bright chestnut in colour with a paler chin and belly, blackish crown and dark grey ear-coverts.[4] Ruddy crakes are about the size of a sparrow.[3] It is a small crake, 14–16.5 cm in length.[4] Immature ruddy crakes tend to show discoloration on their midline or nape, such as a pale midline or chestnut colored nape.[3] The bill is black, the iris is red and the legs and feet are olive-green.[4] This distinct characteristic of yellow green legs, differentiating it from other small birds. [5] The ruddy crake has a short black conical bill, and it has wide spread feet specifically adapted for wet habitats. Female ruddy crakes are more drab than males, and the males have rusty red plumage on the breast.[6]
The ruddy crake, similar to others in the Rallidae family, prefers wet pastures and marshes, especially the tall grasses. [5] The ruddy crake populates the lowlands of the Caribbean, including areas of the Veracruz east, Yucatan Peninsula, and Honduras.[3] The bird occurs from Mexico south to north-west Costa Rica. It is found in freshwater habitats such as marshes, reedbeds, damp fields and ditches.[4]
In the 1960s and 1970s, the ruddy crake was regarded as the most abundant crake in its range in Mexico, while it is considered rare in Costa Rica. Based on range maps, the breeding distribution is 655,600 kilometers squared.[4] The ruddy crake was listed as possibly extinct by the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica because there were no sightings for two decades. However, in May of 2007 a ruddy crake was viewed near the trail by the La Selva Biological Research Station, indicating a widespread range.[5]
The ruddy crake eats invertebrates and plants near the surface of water, including decaying plants, water snails, water beetles, mosquito larvae, and mayflies in the wetland habitat.[6]
In crake reproduction, they lay 6-12 eggs in a nest near the water made from plants. The male and female take turns sitting on the eggs for three weeks, and the eggs will hatch over a week-long period. The male will care for the chicks while the female sits on the younger eggs. Once all eggs hatch, both parents feed and guard the chicks. Often, the chicks will be split up between the two parents.[6]
Deforestation and habitat degradation has caused decreases in the population of ruddy crakes, but land preservation by governments and other conservation groups have benefited the species.[6] The Partners in Flight organization estimated the population of the ruddy crakes to be made up of less than 50,000 individuals. The overall population trend, however, is unable to be determined, as the volume of threats and level of threats that the species faces is uncertain.[7]
The conservation status of the ruddy crake is currently at the level of "Least Concern".[2]
The old Latin name for the ruddy crake was "Corethrura rubra".[2]
The ruddy crake (Laterallus ruber) is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae. Other names the ruddy crake is known by are "red rail", "ruddy rail" and "red crake".
