Wildlifeof Sri Lanka
Slaty-breasted Rail
Rails & Crakes
Photo: Afsar Nayakkan · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Lewinia striata
Basic stats
Diet
Worms, molluscs, crustaceans and marsh plant seeds
Habitat
Wetlands, up to about 1,000m; recorded to 1,850m in Sri Lanka
Range
Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
Clutch size
5-9 eggs
Incubation period
19-22 days
Size
25-30cm
Weight
100-142g
The slaty-breasted rail is a medium-sized rail of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, 25 to 30 cm long and 100 to 142 g. It has a chestnut crown and nape, a blue-grey breast and a long reddish bill. It is mostly found in wetlands up to about 1,000 m, but Wikipedia gives records up to 1,850 m in Sri Lanka. Recent genetic studies place it in the genus Lewinia (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lays five to nine eggs, incubated by both sexes for 19 to 22 days, and the chicks leave the nest soon after hatching. It feeds on worms, molluscs, crustaceans and the seeds of marsh plants. Nationally Vulnerable (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012, listed as Gallirallus striatus).
Quick answers
- What does the Slaty-breasted Rail eat?
- Worms, molluscs, crustaceans and marsh plant seeds
- What habitat does the Slaty-breasted Rail live in?
- Wetlands, up to about 1,000m; recorded to 1,850m in Sri Lanka
- Where is the Slaty-breasted Rail found?
- Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Slaty-breasted Rail lay?
- 5-9 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Slaty-breasted Rail incubated?
- 19-22 days
- How big is the Slaty-breasted Rail?
- 25-30cm
- How much does the Slaty-breasted Rail weigh?
- 100-142g