Little Crake

(Zapornia parva)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020)  – Least Concern

Population size: 100 – 300 pairs

Distribution pattern

With dispersed isolated breeding habitats, mainly along the Danube River and the Black Sea coast, as well as in the Sofia Field, but also in the former Straldzha Marsh, the Thracian Plain, the Choklyovo Marsh, etc. At some of the sites, the species breeds irregularly, including in obviously very suitable biotopes (the Dragoman Marsh, the Orsoya fishponds, the Choklyovo Marsh). Due to the secretive behaviour and short calling season of the species, some of the possible habitats may have remained unidentified.

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds almost exclusively in bogs and marshes, in water fringe vegetation. Particularly preferable breeding habitats are the extensive reed beds with little water mirrors and floating reed stems.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Not analysed

Threats

Not analysed