Behaviour There is no evidence that this species makes regular migratory movements (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998) although numbers may fluctuate throughout the year in some locations due to the dispersal of immatures and to nomadic behaviour in response to environmental conditions (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998, Hockey et al. 2005). The species is a strongly territorial breeder (del Hoyo et al. 1996) and undergoes a flightless moulting period lasting for c.3 weeks between August and November (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Habitat It inhabits permanent and temporary swamps and marshes often at the edge of lakes, pools, rivers and streams, and also occurs in seasonally wet sugar-cane plantations and paddy-fields adjacent to natural marshes (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). It requires shallowly flooded areas with mud and floating vegetation for foraging (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998), and shows a preference for habitats lined with reedbeds or dense species-rich vegetation (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998) with channels and runways linking patches of more open growth (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). For breeding the species shows a preference for seasonally inundated grasslands and sedge meadows (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998) with robust sedges and grasses c.50 cm or more in height (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Diet Its diet consists of worms, crustaceans (e.g. crabs and crayfish), aquatic and terrestrial adult and larval insects, spiders, small fish, small frogs and some vegetable matter including seeds (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding site The nest is a shallow cup of plant matter well concealed in aquatic vegetation, usually over water (del Hoyo et al. 1996).