Very secretive crake with a relatively long tail and a stout bill. Note the rufous neck and crown that contrast with a black back, the thinly barred black-and-white sides, and the white belly. Inhabits shallow flooded marshes with tussocky or matted grasses. Compare with Red-and-White Crake, which lacks barred wings and has a white (not black) vent, a yellowish (not gray) bill, and gray (not red) legs. Song is a long descending trill.