The female has a more vivid reddish-brown head and breast than the male. This bird searches for food in muddy freshwater wetlands.
The female is more colorful, with a rich reddish-brown neck and breast. The smaller male is gray-brown with white speckling.
It is mainly active in dim light, probing concealed muddy ground and shallow water for insects, crustaceans, molluscs and seeds. Females may pair with several males.
In southern Africa the nest is a shallow depression concealed beneath overhanging grass or sedges. Clutches contain two to five eggs, incubated mainly by the male for about 15–19 days.
In southern Africa chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and stay close to the male, who supplies food for at least their first ten days. He may perform distraction displays when a predator approaches.
Both sexes have pale eye patches and a narrow buff crown stripe. The bill curves slightly down at the tip and the legs are greenish. Juveniles resemble males but have grayer wing coverts.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.