Family Rails, Gallinules, Coots (Rallidae)
Least Concern
White-throated Crake (Laterallus albigularis)
Taxonomy
French: Râle à menton blanc German: Weißkehlralle Spanish: Polluela carrasqueadora
Taxonomy:
Corethrura albigularis
Lawrence
, 1861,Atlantic side of Isthmus of Panama
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Subspecies and Distribution
L. a. cinereiceps
(Lawrence, 1875) – SE Honduras and Caribbean slope of Nicaragua S through Costa Rica to NW Panama (W Veraguas).
L. a. albigularis
(Lawrence, 1861) – Pacific lowlands of SW Costa Rica (Gulf of Nicoya) through Panama (including Coiba I) and N & W Colombia to W Ecuador (S to El Oro).
L. a. cerdaleus
Wetmore, 1958 –
N Colombia (Córdoba to Santa Marta region and S in Magdalena Valley to Cundinamarca) and extreme NW Venezuela#R.
Descriptive notes
14–16 cm; male mean 50 g, female mean 45 g. Occasionally has remiges faintly mottled or barred with white. Sexes alike. Only sympatric Laterallus is L.... read more
Voice
Abrupt, explosive descending trill or churr, similar to that of L. ruber; alarm note a... read more
Habitat
Marshes, wet fields and damp grassy pastures, overgrown banks of ditches, canals, ponds and streams... read more
Food and feeding
Takes insects, spiders, seeds of grasses and sedges, and algae. Recorded feeding on fruits of Conostegia subcrustulata (... read more
Breeding
Breeds Costa Rica in wet season; Colombia, breeding condition Dec–Aug. Nest a ball, with a side entrance, of woven grass stems and... read more
Movements
Resident throughout range, but in wet season may wander to higher ground with low cover.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Very difficult to see and status unclear; considered common over much of its range in 1970s and 1980s, but in 1960s race ... read more
Sometimes considered conspecific with L. melanophaius, which replaces present species E of Andes; may, however, be closer to L. exilis. Three subspecies recognized.