Rufous-faced Crake Laterallus xenopterus Scientific name definitions

The Rufous-faced Crake is one of the most poorly known species in its genus and even family, in South America. It is only known from three small disjunct regions in Bolivia, central Paraguay and south central Brazil.  In these three regions it inhabits coarse, tussocky or mated grass in moist areas of marshes. There is no recorded information on its diet or foraging behavior, though presumably similar to other members of its genus. Specimens have been captured in traps baited with peanut butter, oats, corn and banana. Though only known from four localities in the three regions mentioned previously, it undoubtedly occurs between these two regions and is likely more common than currently supposed and a limited understanding of its habitat preferences and vocalizations has hindered the discovery of additional localities.

14cm; 3 unsexed 51–53 g. Tail relatively long, bill stout and tarsus short. Sexes alike. Distinguished from other Laterallus by buffy ochraceous foreneck to breast, normally rather duller than in L. melanophaius; from sympatric L. melanophaius and L. leucopyrrhus by boldly barred inner secondaries, upperwing-coverts and scapulars, black tail and undertail-coverts, heavy blue-grey bill and blue-grey legs and feet; some individuals of both of the above species have diffuse or narrow rufous or white barring on upperwing-coverts and scapulars, but never as extensive or as prominent.

N Bolivia (Beni) (1 Brace, R.C., Hornbuckle, J. and St Pierre, P. (1998). Rufous-faced Crake Laterallus xenopterus: a new species for Bolivia, with notes on its identification, distribution, ecology and conservation. Cotinga. 9: 76–80. Close , 2 Tobias, J.A. and Seddon, N. (2007). Nine bird species new to Bolivia and notes on other significant records. Bulletin Brit Orn. Club 127(1): 49–84. Close ), SC Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goiás, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Federal District) (3 Castro, V.G, Jesus, S., Santos, D.W.M. and Silva, L.F. (2014). New records of the Rufous-faced Crake, Laterallus xenopterus (Gruiformes: Rallidae) in Brazil and observations about its habitat. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22(1): 57–61. Close ) and C Paraguay.

Song is a drawn-out, slightly descending trill, quite similar to e.g. Rufous-sided Crake L. melanophaius, but in comparison sounds less tinkling, somewhat drier churring. Soft call notes "piú piú" have also been recorded.

VULNERABLE. Reliably known from a dozen scattered localities, but recent records indicate that it is likely to be more widespread. In C Paraguay the type was collected at Horqueta in 1933 and 4 birds were collected in Curuguaty area in 1976–1979; recent records from seven sites in Concepción, Canindeyú, Caazapá, Itapúa, San Pedro and Amambay. Over 1200 km to NE there were several sight records, and one specimen, from Brasília area during period 1978–1989. A dead bird was found at Itirapina, São Paulo (4 Oniki, Y. and Willis, E.O. (1996). Morte acidental em aves comuns por fatores humanos. R. Cent. Cienc. Bioméd. Univ. Fed. Uberlândia 12: 33-37. Close ) BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Laterallus xenopterus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 09/10/2016. and there are many subsequent records from the state. New records in 2012–2013 in the states of Mato Grosso, Goiás and Minas Gerais (3 Castro, V.G, Jesus, S., Santos, D.W.M. and Silva, L.F. (2014). New records of the Rufous-faced Crake, Laterallus xenopterus (Gruiformes: Rallidae) in Brazil and observations about its habitat. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22(1): 57–61. Close ); likely also to be found in Mato Grosso do Sul. In Bolivia, known from Beni Biological Station (1 Brace, R.C., Hornbuckle, J. and St Pierre, P. (1998). Rufous-faced Crake Laterallus xenopterus: a new species for Bolivia, with notes on its identification, distribution, ecology and conservation. Cotinga. 9: 76–80. Close ) and Estancia Cristalino (2 Tobias, J.A. and Seddon, N. (2007). Nine bird species new to Bolivia and notes on other significant records. Bulletin Brit Orn. Club 127(1): 49–84. Close ), both in Beni Department. Population not known but doubtless more widespread and numerous than existing records suggest, because areas of occurrence poorly studied and birds difficult to locate; judged relatively frequent around Brasília. Species presumably occurs in wetlands between known sites. No known threats in Paraguay. In Brazil, wholesale loss of wet campo habitats from drainage, expansion of agriculture (especially of soybean and maize monocultures) and Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations may have serious effects on hitherto undiscovered populations; mining, hydroelectric projects and fire are also a potential threats (3 Castro, V.G, Jesus, S., Santos, D.W.M. and Silva, L.F. (2014). New records of the Rufous-faced Crake, Laterallus xenopterus (Gruiformes: Rallidae) in Brazil and observations about its habitat. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22(1): 57–61. Close ). Work is needed to rediscover populations in Paraguay; voice should continue to be used in playback to ascertain range and status of species.