Chestnut-headed Flufftail Sarothrura lugens Scientific name definitions

c. 15 cm. Tail even longer than in S. rufa and S. boehmi (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ), often fluffed out. Male has rich chestnut on head down to hindneck and malar region (darker and more extensive in S. rufa and also more extensive in S. boehmi) (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ); chin and throat off-white; tail black, spotted white; upperparts finely streaked white (spotted in rufa) (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ); underparts with broad white streaks (narrower in S. rufa and slightly less in S. boehmi) (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Female distinctive, streaked pale chestnut and black where male is chestnut; body is dark brown-black with broader white streaks than in male; wings predominantly spotted or barred; in comparison, female S. rufa has buff-coloured and fewer markings on upperparts, while female S. boehmi lacks any chestnut coloration on head, has white barring (not streaking) above and below (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Bare parts: irides dark greyish brown, and bill and legs brown to slate-coloured (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Immature male resembles adult but duller, with dark blackish-brown head and fewer streaks on upperparts and underparts (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ); female also duller, streaked pale buff, not chestnut, on head, with fewer and smaller white markings on upperparts (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ), and more heavily streaked on underparts. Juvenile blackish with dingy white chin, throat and central belly (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Race lynesi smaller, e.g. wing length 70–76 mm versus 75–82 mm in nominate (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ).

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Specimen from Nyanga, Zimbabwe, is immature female of S. rufa; recent sight and sound reports from Zimbabwe probably also referable to S. rufa.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Patches of savanna in lowland forest; grass-grown marshes in savanna; lakeside marshes; rank grass and sedges in dambos (wet drainage lines in woodland). In forest of NE Gabon, also inhabits moist post-cultivation growth dominated by Aframomum (Zingiberaceae) and arrowroot plants. Prefers dense, lush vegetation 0·7–1·5 m high, but without deep water or mud (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Often occurs directly alongside S. rufa, e.g. in N Zambia, but perhaps preferring marginally drier areas, with S. boehmi in same areas but definitely segregated by habitat, preferring shorter grass at edges of dambos (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ).

Unknown; probably entirely sedentary, with perhaps very local displacement outside breeding season following habitat reduction by burning, etc. Single record from Malawi, sometimes queried (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ) but supported by tape-recording (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), perhaps indicates longer-distance dispersal as species not recorded on subsequent visits to same locality (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

Little known. Stomach of adults contained insects and seeds; of a chick, small black ants.

Poorly known. Song of male a series of moaning, rather guttural hoots “whooo”, each note lasting c. 1 second (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ), repeated with hardly a pause for up to c. 1 minute; speed and pitch variable. Call a series of loud, rapid, far-carrying, pumping “koh” notes, given for up to 45 seconds and often in crescendo, dying away to a grunt; sometimes calls in asynchronous duet.

Apparently breeds during wet season, at least in S of range (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Laying months, derived from young birds and collected females containing eggs: Cameroon, Apr, Jul, Sept; Zaire Mar, Apr; Zambia, Mar, Dec. Nest and eggs undescribed; black downy chick has black bill with white base and tip.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally uncommon, but locally common in NE Zambia, where 5–6 birds singing in radius of c. 450 m (4 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Has been described as a relict species in unsuccessful competition with S. rufa, although in some areas of co-occurrence the present species appears to be the commoner of the two (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Claimed occurrence in Zimbabwe involved misidentified immature female S. rufa, and records from Nigeria, Congo and Central African Republic also generally rejected (1 Taylor, B., and B. van Perlo (1998). Rails: A Guide to the Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. Close ). In view of its fragmented distribution, the fact that it appears to be generally uncommon, and the continual destruction of wetland habitats, species should perhaps be considered Vulnerable.