A small, chicken-like bird found in marshes, vegetated riverbanks, ditches, wet croplands, and occasionally dry fields. It is brown on top with a bright orange patch extending from the lower cheek to the lower breast. Although it resembles the Band-bellied Crake, it is more colorful and does not have white wing markings. This bird is elusive and hard to spot but can be fairly common in certain areas. It is usually heard rather than seen, with its song consisting of an accelerating series of beeping notes from hiding during the early morning and evening.