Story: Wetland birds

Spotless crake

Spotless crake

The spotless crake or pūweto is a small rail. Its bill is proportionally shorter than that of a banded rail or a weka. Its uniform slate-blue underside and chestnut-brown topside earned it the name ‘spotless’, in contrast to the spotted crake of Europe and western Asia. Fast runners, spotless crakes are rarely seen in flight – yet are apparently able to disperse long distances to colonise new marshes.

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Neil Fitzgerald Photography
Photograph by Neil Fitzgerald

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How to cite this page:

Christina Troup, 'Wetland birds - Rails and crakes', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/14656/spotless-crake (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Christina Troup, published 24 Sep 2007, reviewed & revised 17 Feb 2015