Rails, Gallinules and Coots (Rallidae)

African Crake (Crex egregia) - HBW 3, p. 173

French: Râle des prés German: Steppensumpfhuhn Spanish: Guión Africano

Taxonomy: Ortygometra (Crex) egregia W. K. H. Peters, 1854, Tete, Zambezi.
Sometimes placed in genus Porzana on the basis of a superficial resemblance to P. albicollis, but plumage and skeletal differences make the relationship untenable. Sometimes placed in monospecific genus Crecopsis but probably more appropriately included in Crex on basis of similarities to C.crex. Monotypic.

Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal E to Kenya and S to Cape Province, South Africa, except arid areas of SW & S Africa, where W limits correlate with 300-mm summer rainfall isohyet.