23-26 cm, sexes similar. Grey under parts, brown stripes on uppers, long, curved beak. Present throughout the year, it is more numerous in winter and frequents the freshwater wetlands where it nests. Not easily seen but often heard, particularly at dawn and dusk and after loud noises. Its call recalls the grunt of a pig, hence its Italan name, “porciglione”, of the same root as “porco”, or pig.