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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol 123, No. 1, March 2011 
Many dead leaves were the base of the second 
nest increasing the depth. 
Eggs were sub elliptical and pale pinkish buff 
(Smithe 1975: #12ID) with a white wash and 
scattered tiny dark grayish brown (Smithe 1975: 
# 20) marks and spots (Fig. 2C). Dimensions of 
the egg in the second nest were 38.3 X 28.4 mm 
and it weighed 16 g. 
DISCUSSION 
FIG. 2. (A). Second nest of incubating Chestnut-headed 
Crake. December 2008. Lliquino River, Pastaza. Ecuador. 
(B). Detail of the interior of the second nest with one egg 
Lliquino River. Pastaza, Ecuador. (C). Details of Chestnut¬ 
headed Crake egg. December 2008. Lliquino River, Pastaza 
Ecuador. (Photographs by G. Buitron-J). 
leaves (2B). Twigs and leaves provided support 
for the egg as in the first nest. Nests dimensions 
were: outer diameter = 151.5 X 106 mm, inner 
cup diameter = 104.5 mm, and depth = 205 mm. 
The two nests of the Chestnut-headed Crake 
were similar in building materials and architecture 
to nests of wood rails (A ram ides spp.) (Hilty and 
Brown 1986, Taylor 1996, Vaca et al. 2006; J. 
Karubian, unpubl. data). These non-aquatic Ralli- 
dae inhabit tropical lowland rain forest and have 
nests built with loosely attached leaves. Informa¬ 
tion concerning nest architecture of Aramides is 
incomplete as nests of two species remain to be 
described (Taylor 1996). The nest is a bowl¬ 
shaped platform for the rest of Aramides species 
and primarily composed of leaves or weeds 
(Taylor 1996). Nests of the Red-winged Wood 
Rail ( Aramides calopterus) and Brown Wood Rail 
(A. wolfi) are bulky bowl-shaped platforms built 
with twigs and covered by leaves or weeds (Vaca 
et al. 2006, Carrasco and Mena 2008; J. Karubian, 
unpubl. data). Species inhabiting more open 
habitats (scrubby pastures, rice fields), including 
Giant (A. ypecaha) and Gray-necked (A. cajanea) 
wood rails, have nests that are deep bowls which 
also include green and dead leaves (Taylor 1996, 
Di Giacomo and Krapovickas 2005). This type of 
nest is also reported for the Uniform Crake 
(Amaurolimnas concolor ), a species closely relat¬ 
ed to Aramides (Stiles 1981). 
Nests of the Chestnut-headed Crake, Uniform 
Crake, and Aramides wood rails share a similar 
bowl shape. They are not domed and are built 
mainly of leaves and woody material. The nests of 
the Chestnut-headed Crake differed from those of 
the Russet-crowned ( Laterallus viridis) and 
Black-banded (L. fasciatus) crakes. Both species 
have been included with the Chestnut-headed 
Crake in Anurolimnas by some authorities (e.g- 
Taylor 1996, Remsen et al. 2008) because of their 
similar plumage pattern. The nest of the Russet- 
crowned Crake is a ball of dead grass with a side 
entrance, while that of the Black-banded Crake is 
a domed and bulky ball of grass with a side 
entrance (Hilty and Brown 1986, Taylor 1996). 
This type of nest architecture is similar to that 
reported for species of Laterallus whose nests are 
