crakes
Secretive wetland birds
Crakes are small, secretive marsh birds related to rails and coots.
They have short bills, rounded bodies, and prefer walking through dense vegetation to flying.
The corncrake, once common in European hayfields, is the best known.
The word sometimes appears as the harsh, rasping call these birds make: the crake of a rail in the reeds.
Guiding metal bars
- cootsDucklike diving birds
- moorhensAquatic rail family birds
- waterbirdsBirds inhabiting aquatic environments
- avifaunaBirds of a region
plumage · secretive · ground-nesting · fledglings · migration · endangered · conservation · birdwatching
Hard to find
- secretiveInclined to conceal
- skulkingMoving furtively, covertly
- crypticObscure in meaning
- shyReserved and retiring
furtive · hidden · inconspicuous · ground-dwelling · running · wading · foraging · nocturnal
Producing sounds with voice
- raspingHarsh and grating
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
- nocturnalActive during darkness
- territorialDefensive about owned space
courtship · contact · alarm · grating · harsh · distinctive · breeding · song
rails
Guiding metal bars
- cootsDucklike diving birds
- moorhensAquatic rail family birds
- waterbirdsBirds inhabiting aquatic environments
avifauna · plumage · secretive · ground-nesting · fledglings · migration · endangered · conservation · birdwatching · ornithologist
elusive
Hard to find
shy · furtive · hidden · inconspicuous · ground-dwelling · running · wading · foraging · nocturnal · crepuscular
vocalization
Producing sounds with voice
- raspingHarsh and grating
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
- nocturnalActive during darkness
territorial · courtship · contact · alarm · grating · harsh · distinctive · breeding · song · cry
marsh
Grassy waterlogged lowland
meadow · grassland · bog · fen · swamp · estuary · waterlogged · dense vegetation · cover · breeding grounds