White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra Scientific name definitions

16–17 cm; male 39–53·2 (45·2) g, female 41–50·6 (45·4) g (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 ). Tail short, not noticeably fluffy. In male , white-spotted black upperparts and red tail  diagnostic. Female unlike that of any other flufftail: foreparts as male; body blackish, barred reddish buff; tail chestnut, barred black. Immature male almost identical to adult but duller with fewer and smaller spots above, and retains juvenile greater wing-coverts until one year old, while immature female has more broken and less regular upperparts barring (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 brown, bill blackish sometimes with whitish base to mandible (male) or dark grey (female) and legs brownish grey to dark grey (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 ). Juvenile unique in genus in showing adult pattern; areas chestnut and red in adults are dark brown, as are underparts; upperparts blackish brown with pale brown to buff markings, with some whitish spots on wings of male. Races separated on: relative width of black and reddish-buff bars in female; richness of plumage colours: thus, race pulchra has narrower black barring above in female, while reddish-buff bars below are broader and more rufous than in centralis; race zenkeri is considered overall more richly coloured than others and smaller than all others except <em>centralis</em> , with male having flanks and belly chestnut-tinged, and female has blacker bars on upperparts than centralis and pulchra; race batesi is characterized by having male like pulchra  and centralis  and female like zenkeri, except that upperparts have black barring more intense and chestnut paler, and chestnut on head paler, with size much as previous race (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 ).

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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.

Mainly lowland rainforest, usually in association with water, e.g. forest swamps, streams and pools, and riverbanks. Also occurs on forest floor away from water: population in disturbed forest at Malava, W Kenya, 2 km from nearest stream. Not usually deep inside primary forest away from water. Also occupies dense shrubbery and cassava plantations in almost completely cleared areas. Follows rivers and streams out into gallery forest, dense thickets, shrubby growth, neglected cultivation and other rank herbage. Exceptionally in papyrus and other vegetation by lakes. Occurs up to 2000 m (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 some areas but does not frequent montane forest. Requires dense cover over foraging areas of leaf litter, mud, sand, gravel or shallow water.

Normally entirely sedentary and permanently territorial, but there is some evidence for local movements occurring in Sierra Leone and Ghana (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 also in W Kenya in disturbed and unusually dry habitats.

Diet consists chiefly of invertebrates: earthworms, nematodes, small leeches, small gastropods, myriapods, spiders and many insects, including ants, beetles, bugs (Hemiptera), flies and small moths; takes terrestrial and aquatic insect larvae, including those of chironomids, mayflies, beetles and Lepidoptera; also small frogs. Occasionally consumes a little vegetable matter, including small seeds. Takes much food from surface of humus, mud and water; also probes with bill and turns over leaf litter. Feeds in water up to 2 cm deep; rarely immerses head; stirs up muddy stream bed with one foot to disturb prey. Searches low-growing plants for insects, chases flying insects, and digs blowfly larvae out of cowpats. In Kenya feeds largely on the most abundant suitable invertebrate prey available at any time. Forages throughout day, with peaks in early morning and late afternoon; changes foraging area within territory every 2–4 days; one pair with 2 chicks foraged over c. 20% of territory each day.

Vocal repertoire extensive. Characteristic call of male , given all year but most frequently during breeding season (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 ), a series of 3–14 short, hollow “goong” notes , reminiscent of call of Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus bilineatus); double notes “gui”, rising in pitch, often included; call series often repeated for several minutes; weaker version given by female. Unlike some congenerics, rarely vocalizes at night (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 ). Also gives series of 4–8 shorter, faster notes. Other calls include rapidly repeated “ker”, high-pitched “ki” and ringing “klee” notes, and growls, grunts, gulps and hisses. Does not call at night.

Seasons poorly known: in most areas breeds during rains, probably more seasonally in S areas with a marked rainy season, but in W Kenya lays Jan–Mar, in months of low rainfall; lays in Liberia, Sept; in Nigeria, Sept, breeding condition Jun, Aug, Dec; in Cameroon, Sept–Oct, breeding condition Apr, Jun; in Gabon, Mar; in Zaire, Apr–May, Nov; in Uganda Mar–Apr (but small young also seen Sept) (5 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ); nest building in Gambia, Aug. Monogamous and permanently territorial, forming strong permanent pair-bond; however, territory boundaries are apparently more flexible in non-breeding season, except a core area of c. 60 m (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 ). Nest (constructed by male) (6 Wacher, T. (1993). Some new observations of forest birds in The Gambia. Malimbus 15(1):24–37. Close ) in forest, in leaf litter on damp ground, or by pool, or on rotten tree root in shallow water in swamp; oval mound of dry or wet dead leaves, 10 cm high × 23 cm long, sometimes concealed by covering of dead leaves; lined with dry leaves, grass, etc.; entrance is slit at side. Eggs two, white, 30–30·9 mm × 21·5–22·1 mm (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 ); incubation 14 days, by both sexes; black downy chick is browner on thighs and 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 ), and has black bare parts; chicks precocial and nidifugous; fed by both parents but tend to follow parent of same sex; capable of feeding themselves from early age and flight at 30–35 days (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 remain in close association with parents until fully grown and feathered at 6–7 weeks, when post-juvenile partial moult begins; this is complete at 14–16 weeks. In W Kenya some young disperse at c. 3 months old; others may remain in parental territory for up to nine months, disappearing by start of next breeding season. Juvenile mortality probably low; age of first breeding one year; adult mortality low. In W Kenya, only one brood per season.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common to locally abundant over most of range. In W Kenya distribution along streams essentially linear, one pair per 100–130 m of stream, mean territory size 0·85 ha, whereas on dry ground mean size was slightly larger at 0·97 ha (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 ). Catholic in choice of habitat and well adapted to forest disturbance, as long as suitable cover remains or develops: successfully colonizes cleared areas in forest, and remains along streams after forest clearance. However numbers must be decreasing with continuing large-scale destruction of forest habitat.