B  

The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as common (Fry and Keith 2004).

Stable

Behaviour This species is mainly sedentary (Hockey et al. 2005) although it is subject to local movements associated with the drying of temporary floods (Urban et al. 1986), sometimes moving several hundred kilometres away from nesting sites (del Hoyo et al. 1996). In East Africa it also descends to lower altitudes after breeding (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species is usually found feeding in small numbers or scattered groups (del Hoyo et al. 1996) and nesting solitarily (not closer than 30 m) (Hockey et al. 2005). It is also least active during the middle of the day (although it is not crepuscular) (Hockey et al. 2005). Habitat This species is always found associated with freshwater or brackish wetlands, and is typically found on vleis, marshes, highland bogs, wetlands around artificial water bodies, ditches, inland deltas (e.g. the flood plain of the Okavango River) (Hockey et al. 2005), swampy lake edges, seasonally flooded grasslands (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996) and wet moorlands (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It most frequently occurs at high altitudes (1,500 m in Ethiopia and north-east Africa, occasionally reaching up to 4,000 m) (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996) and typically nests at between 1,800-2,700 m in East Africa (del Hoyo et al. 1996), although it can also be found on lowland wetlands inhabiting shallow estuaries and lagoons (Hockey et al. 2005). The species also favours soft muddy areas among shallowly flooded vegetation on which to feed (Urban et al. 1986, Hockey et al. 2005). Diet The diet of this species mainly consists of the larvae of beetles, dragonflies and flies, annelid worms, small crustaceans, molluscs and sometimes seeds (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding site The nest of this species is a pad of grass leaves hidden in a tuft of grass or fine rushes, surrounded by flooded or moist ground (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996, Hockey et al. 2005), often where grazing animals have opened up muddy patches and paths (Hockey et al. 2005).