Adults are 27–28 cm (11–11 in) long, and have mainly brown upperparts and blue-grey underparts, with black-and-white barring on the flanks and undertail. The sexes have similar plumage but the female is smaller. This is the only Rallus species with a plain back. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim dull red bill. The legs are red. Immature birds are similar to the adults, but the blue-grey is replaced by buff.[7]
They are noisy birds, with a trilled whistled treee-tee-tee-tee-tee call.[7]
Its breeding habitat is marshes and reedbeds across eastern and southern Africa from EthiopiatoSouth Africa. Many birds are permanent residents, but some undertake seasonal movements in response to the availability of wetland.[7]
The African rail nests in a dry location in marsh vegetation, both sexes building the cup nest. The typical clutch is 2–6 heavily spotted creamy-white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 20 days to hatching. The precocial downy chicks are black, as with all rails.[7]
These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects, crabs and other small aquatic animals.[7]
^ abcdeTaylor, P.B. (1996). "African rail". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. p. 170. ISBN978-84-87334-20-7.
