They have green legs with long toes, and a short tail which is barred black and white underneath.

Unlike other Zapornia crakes, this species has strong sexual dimorphism: Adult males have mainly brown upperparts and blue-grey face and underparts.

Females have buff underparts, and are grey only on the face; they are more similar to the yellow-breasted crake (Z. flaviventer) of the American tropics.

These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight.

The little crake is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.