A largish, brown short-billed rail. Male: Gray face and grayish breast with streaked buffy-brown sides. Dark crown and stubby, pale bill. White belly with bold brown bars on sides. Reddish-brown shoulders. Feathers on upperparts are dark with broad creamy edges. Pale pinkish legs. Female and juvenile: Browner with less gray on throat and breast.

Length: 28 (cm) Wingspan: 48 (cm)

Habitat:

Inhabits wet meadows and weedy or grassy fields.

Behavior:

Skulks in dense grass; runs from danger instead of flushing.

Feeding:

Feeds on invertebrates, seeds and grain.