Common name: Spotted Crake (مرعة منقطة)
Scientific name: Porzana porzana
Family: Rallidae

Size:
Body length: 19–22 cm
Wingspan: 34–39 cm
Weight: approximately 70–120 g

Identification:
A small and elusive rail with olive-brown upper parts densely marked with small white spots and bluish-grey underparts. The face and breast are grey, contrasting with the spotted back and wings. It has a short, straight bill that is greenish with a reddish base and relatively long greenish legs. The body appears compact and slightly rounded, typical of rails. Because of its secretive nature, it is more often heard than seen, slipping quietly through dense wetland vegetation.

Habitat:
Prefers marshes, reedbeds, wet meadows, flooded grasslands, and the edges of freshwater wetlands with dense vegetation. It favors shallow water areas where thick reeds, sedges, or grasses provide cover. During migration it may also appear in coastal wetlands and temporary flooded habitats.

Status in the UAE:
Scarce passage migrant. The species is occasionally recorded during migration at wetlands and reedbeds across the UAE, but it is rarely observed due to its secretive behavior and preference for dense cover. Most records occur during spring and autumn migration periods.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds mainly on aquatic insects, insect larvae, small crustaceans, worms, snails, and other small invertebrates. It forages by probing mud and picking prey from shallow water or vegetation.

Behavior:
Extremely secretive and mostly active at dawn, dusk, or during the night. It moves quietly through dense reeds and grasses, often remaining hidden for long periods. When flushed, it flies only a short distance before dropping back into cover. During the breeding season in its main range, males produce a distinctive repetitive whistling call from concealed positions within marsh vegetation.

Conservation status:
Listed as Least Concern globally, although populations may fluctuate due to wetland drainage and habitat degradation across parts of its range.