白胸苦恶鸟 White-breasted Waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus

中型涉禽
体长 28~33 cm

虹膜 /iris

红色 /red

嘴 /bill

偏绿，嘴基红色/ greenish with red base

脚 /legs and feet

黄色 /yellow

目 │ 鹤形目GRUIFORMES 科 │ 秧鸡科Rallidae

野外识别 │ 头顶及上体深青灰色，嘴偏绿色，嘴基红色，脸、喉、胸及上腹部白色，下腹及尾下棕色，脚黄色，常因在沼泽淤泥中行走而使颜色不明显。叫声为单调的“ ku-o ku-o ”声（近似“苦恶-苦恶”），该鸟之中文名即由此得来。常于黎明或黄昏作喧闹的群体鸣叫。

居留及分布 │ 分布于南亚次大陆、中南半岛、太平洋诸岛屿、华莱士区和中国。在南岭是留鸟，全年可见，较常见。

生境及习性 │ 栖息于沼泽、溪流、水塘、水田等水域及其附近的灌丛、疏林地。通常单独活动，偶尔两三成群，于水边湿润茂密的草滩、灌丛、飘浮植被、红树林及旷野中觅食。杂食性，主要取食蜗牛、昆虫、蜘蛛等动物性食物，也食植物的花、芽、种子和农作物。繁殖期 4—7 月。在岸边使用枯草筑巢。窝卵数 4~8 枚，卵椭圆形、白色。

Field identification │ A medium-sized, dumpy, short-tailed waterbird. Adults are distinctive,with dark slate-grey upperparts, a white face, throat, breast and upper belly, and rusty-cinnamon lower belly and undertail coverts. Immatures are browner above and rather dusky below. A very vocal waterbird whose calls include a monotonous ku-o ku-o , which is reflected in its Chinese name, a weird jiao-jiao-jiao and a rapid series of pi-pi-pi wok-wok-wok notes.

Distribution & status │ Widely distributed from India to eastern China, including Guangdong.In Nanling, it is an uncommon resident.

Habitat & habits │ White-breasted Waterhens are highly territorial, living in pairs in a variety of wet habitats including marshes, streams, ponds and paddyfields, where they feed on worms, molluscs,insects and their larvae, spiders, small fish as well as grass seeds and the shoots and roots of marsh plants.