THE BIRDS OF SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
THE BIRDS OF SOUTH
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
SPOTTED CRAKE – Porzana porzana
As with all reports of
rare and scarce birds they are subject to ratification by the respective
rarities committees
Spotted Crakes are very secretive in the breeding season and are then mostly heard rather than seen. They are then noisy birds with a distinctive repetitive whiplash-like 'hwuit hwuit' call. The word crake stems from the Middle English 'crow' and is probably a corruption of the Old Norse word 'kraka'. It may also originate from the Old English word 'crá' meaning 'croaking'.
There have been two Spotted Crakes reported from S. Gloucestershire, they are;
1891: (2)
One was 'obtained' in September at Stoke Bridge in Stoke Gifford; One was 'obtained' in October at Patchway.