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White-breasted Waterhen Clutches in Kerala Had 2–6 Eggs, With Incubation Lasting 19–21 Days

White-breasted waterhen standing on floating aquatic vegetation
Research · Reproduction & development

A study of white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) breeding in wetlands at Mathara in Kozhikode District, Kerala, India, documented nesting, courtship, incubation and chick development. The field observations were made from April to October 2018. The study was published in 2026.

Nests were typically placed close to water or wet ground, most often on Ochlandra scriptoria. The birds used plant material including twigs of Hibiscus hispidissimus, leaves, grass stems and fibres from banana plants and coconut palms to build the nests.

Courtship included billing, bowing and nibbling, accompanied by loud, hoarse calls. Clutches contained two to six eggs, with six-egg clutches common in the observations. Incubation lasted 19–21 days, and the researchers reported that the young had developed the adult plumage pattern by about 3.5 months of age.

The authors note that the wetlands used by the species are threatened by pollution and habitat degradation.

Sources and image credit

  1. Athulya, M. M., Rashiba, A. P., Siraj, M., Gafoor, P. A., & Krishna, T. P. A. (2026). Breeding ecology of the white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) in the wetland habitats of Kerala, India. Munis Entomology & Zoology, 21(1).Primary research article in volume 21, number 1. The journal states that number 1 is published on 1 January. The study observed breeding ecology at Mathara in Kozhikode District, Kerala, from April to October 2018.

Image: Gannu03 / Wikimedia Commons. White-breasted waterhen on aquatic vegetation in Assam, India, 25 May 2024; illustrative photograph, cropped. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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