Adult Description:
The dorsal plumage, extending from the forehead to the tail, is a mix of rufous-brown and dark brown. Each feather exhibits a dark brown or pale black central portion, with rufous-brown edges. The area above the eye and the cheeks are pale brownish-gray. The chin is white, while the throat is gray. A dark brownish-gray band is present in front of and extending behind the eye. The lesser and median coverts are rufous-brown, with white streaks and occasional dark brown streaks. The wing edges are white. The greater coverts are rufous-brown, sometimes with white streaks. The foreneck, chest, and abdomen are brownish-gray, especially on the chest. The flanks and posterior abdomen are dark brown with white streaks.
Juvenile Description:
The underparts of the plumage have broad brown edges, and the coverts exhibit distinct white streaks.
Newly Hatched Chicks:
The downy plumage is entirely black. The eyes are reddish-brown to brick-red. The upper mandible is dark brown with a band of orange-red or crimson at the base, while the lower mandible is gray or grayish-brown with a duller red base. The legs are pinkish-brown.
Measurements:
- Wing (male): 120 – 130 mm
- Wing (female): 110 – 122 mm
- Tail: 52 – 65 mm
- Tarsus: 40 – 45 mm
- Bill: 36 – 43 mm
Distribution:
This species of rail is distributed in Northeast China, eastern Siberia, and Japan. During the winter, they migrate south to Indochina, Thailand, Myanmar, and India. In Vietnam, this species has only been recorded in Thanh Hoa province.