Least Concern — fairly widespread but secretive and often under-recorded.

25–28 cm in length; a medium-sized crake with brown upperparts, grey face and underparts, and distinctive slaty-grey legs.

Migratory species; breeds in East Asia (Japan, Korea, eastern China, southeastern Russia).

Winters in South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asian countries.

Mainly May to July in breeding range.

Nests on or near the ground in dense marsh vegetation, reeds, or wet forest undergrowth; clutch usually 5–7 eggs.

Prefers dense cover near water—marshes, swamps, wet forests, stream edges, mangroves, and thick undergrowth; often stays hidden.

Omnivorous; feeds on insects, worms, snails, small crustaceans, and also seeds and plant material.