 The water rail can readily be distinguished from most other reed bed rails by its white undertail and red bill ; the latter is a little longer than the rest of the rail 's head ( 55 – 58 % of the total ) and slightly down @-@ curved . The somewhat similar slaty @-@ breasted rail of tropical Asia has a stouter bill , a chestnut crown and white @-@ spotted upperparts . Juvenile and freshly moulted water rails may show a buff undertail like spotted crake , but that species ' plumage is spotted with white , and it has a much shorter , mainly yellowish bill . The range of the water rail does not overlap with that of any other Rallus species , but vagrants could be distinguished from their American relatives by the lack of rufous or chestnut on the closed wing . The larger African rail has unstreaked darker brown upperparts and brighter red legs and feet . 
