[2] The species was officially described by Jean Louis Cabanis and its name was dedicated to Moritz Richard Schomburgk in "Reisen in Britisch-Guiana in den Jahren 1840-1844 : nebst einer Fauna und Flora Guiana's nach Vorlagen von Johannes Müller, Ehrenberg, Erichson, Klotzsch, Troschel, Cabanis und Andern" in 1848.

[3] The nape, back, wing coverts and rump are mottled by distinctive white spots, each surrounded by a black ring.

[10] It is found in Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana.

[7] The known distribution of the ocellated crake has been expanding in recent years, in part because in the past its vocalizations have been difficult to distinguish from other closely-related species of rails including those of the Laterallus and Anurolimnas genera.

[10] Increasing recognition of the trill, along with more access to recordings and the ability to use the playback technique have made the species easier to detect, leading to a more comprehensive distribution.

[11] The ocellated crake is found in open grassland and savanna habitats, generally densely-packed and tall grasses of one meter or more.

For example, in central and southeastern Brazil, it is found in dry grasslands dominated by the Tristachya leiostachya grass species.

[6] In its range in Argentina, the ocellated crake was observed in drier grasslands where the dominant grasses were Sandysoil Indiangrass (Sorghastrum setosum) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium microstachyum).

[8] They move primarily by running through the grass as well as through tunnels dug by rodents (such as in the genus Cavia) that also inhabit the grassland.

[8] Their diet is largely made up of insects, including beetles of the Carabidae and Scarabaeidae families, stoneflies, grasshoppers, cockroaches and ants.

[3] In Costa Rica, breeding is suspected to occur during the rainy season, which takes place between the months of May and November.