Rails

Biology, Ecology, and Management

Classification Kingdom AnimaliaPhylum Chordata

Class AvesOrder Gruiformes

Family RallidaeCoturnicops

LaterallusRallus

AramidesPorzana

CyanolimnasPardirallus

Characteristics of Family

• Small to medium-sized waterbirds• Shy, mostly solitary• Laterally compressed bodies• Bill varies, usually slightly decurved• Short tail

Species of the Family

• Coturnicops noveboracensis• Laterallus jamaicensis• Rallus longirostris• Rallus elegans• Rallus limicola• Aramides axillaris• Aramides cajanea• Porzana palmeri• Porzana carolina• Porzana sandwichensis• Cyanolimnas cerverai• Pardirallus maculatus

• Yellow Rail• Black Rail• Clapper Rail• King Rail• Virginia Rail• Rufous-necked Wood-Rail• Gray-necked Wood-Rail• Laysan Rail• Sora• Hawaiian Rail• Zapata Rail• Spotted Rail

Two Extinct Rails

Porzana palmeriLaysan Rail

Porzana sandwichensisHawaiian Rail

Rails of KentuckyThere are 4 found in Kentucky!

Coturnicops noveboracensisYellow Rail

Rallus elegans*King Rail

Rallus limicolaVirginia Rail

Porzana carolinaSora

*Argued whether found in Kentucky or not.

Sora

Porzana carolina

Breeding Range of Sora

Wintering Range

Identification• Length: 6.75 inches• Wingspan: 12.5 inches• Body is small and

chunky• Short-tail which is

cocked during walk and shows white undertail coverts

• Wings are rounded• Ground-dwelling• Short thick, yellow bill• Rarely flies• Sexes similar• Black face mask

Habitat and Foraging

• The sora occupies a freshwater wetlandhabitat throughout its range; it also usessalt marshes while overwintering. • The preferred habitat provides considerablecover for breeding soras, and consistsmostly of freshwater wetlands withstands of cattail, sedges, and other tallwetland plants. • Diet consists mainly of seeds, insects andsnails.

Breeding• Nests are woven into a shallow basket from dead emergent wetland

vegetation, and attached to stalks of dense, live vegetation. • Nests are generally placed over or adjacent to water, occasionally

occurring in dry environments such as willows or grassy habitat near water's edge.

• The average clutch size ranges from 10-12 (sometimes 6-18) brown, spotted eggs, occasionally laid in two layers to accommodate such large numbers in a relatively small nest.

• Incubation by both parents lasts from 18-20 days, and is initiated with the laying of the first few eggs.

• Young hatch asynchronously due to incremental stages of incubation. • Young soras leave the nest shortly after hatching, and mainly forage

themselves, having been taught by a parent.• At 21-25 days young soras fledge and gain independence from their

parents' care.

Management Concerns

• Due to loss of wetland habitat, sora’s range has declined.

• Although population is considered abundant, further depletion of wetlands is a threat.

Management

• Wetland loss and degradation should be avoided.

• Long-term protection of wetlands.• Wetland complexes would allow for

variation of water levels and therefore is recommended.

• Protection of mudflats, sandbars, and meadows where soras forage.

Virginia Rail

Rallus limicola

Breeding Range of Virginia Rail

Wintering Range

Identification

• Length: 7.5 inches• Wingspan: 14 inches• Fairly small chunky

body• Short-tailed• Round-winged• Ground-dwelling• Long, slightly

decurved bill• Rarely flies• Sexes similar• Red eyes

Habitat and Foraging• Rails prefer freshwater marshes and wetlands. • The most important features of their habitat include

shallow water, an emergent cover of cattails and bulrushes, and a high invertebrate abundance in the water.

• They forage in standing water, moist soil, and mudflats.

• Using its long, curved bill, the Virginia Rail probes the muddy soils and shallow waters of its habitat for food.

• It most often consumes small aquatic invertebrates, such as beetles, spiders, snails, and true bugs.

• In the winter, when these foods are less available, it also eats aquatic plants and seeds.

Breeding• Pairs are thought to be monogamous. • Either males or females may initiate bond formation, which spans a

period of one or two weeks. • During this time, pairs engage in mutual preening, courtship feeding,

copulation, and defense of territory. • Nests are built in May. • Both the male and female build the nest, which is located in marshes

containing cattails and bulrushes. • A canopy is often built above the nest by bending and weaving adjacent

vegetation. • Along with the nest, numerous "dummy" nests are built within their

territory. • Clutch size varies greatly with geography, but the average size seems

to be 8-9 eggs. • Both sexes incubate, and the young hatch about 19 days after

incubation begins. • Young are covered with black down and development progresses

rapidly; young begin to run down the nest ramp to drink and swim only 11 hours after hatching.

Management Concerns

• Degradation of its wetland habitat may have caused a decrease in populations.

• Although populations are considered stable, this is not really known due to the fact that not a lot of research has been done on this species.

Management

• Protection of wetlands is important.

• Since they like shallow waters, water manipulation is beneficial.

• The management of wetlands helps to manage birds.

Yellow Rail

• Coturnicops noveboracensis

Breeding Range of Yellow Rail

Wintering Range

• Not much is known about wintering range of this species.

Identification• Length: 5 inches • Small, chunky body.• Short-tailed • Round-winged,• Ground-dwelling• White secondaries • Short, thick, yellow bill • Black upperparts with

thin white fringes and broad buffy streaks

• Dark crown, yellow supercilium, and dark eyeline

• Breast buffy yellow• Flanks and undertail

coverts barred black and white

• Rarely flies • Sexes similar

Habitat and Foraging• Yellow Rails prefer moist areas, with little or

no standing water. • Their preferred summer habitat includes

marshy areas with low ground cover, grassy flood plains, wet meadows, and bog areas with low vegetation.

• During migration, they stop over in rice fields, dry hay fields or cereal fields.

• In winter, the birds can be found in coastal marshes and rice fields.

• Eats on fruits and seeds.

Breeding

• Nest usually constructed in dense clump of marsh grasses or fallen or dead grasses often a few inches above flooded soil or bottom just touching.

• Cup nest is woven from fine dry grasses, some sedge. • Clutch size = 7-10 eggs, rich yellow-buff color, usually speckled

or densely spotted at large end with red-brown• Incubation, presumed by female alone, approx. 18 days. • Incubation begins with last egg.• Young are precocial, covered with black down, and possess a

'wing claw' on the manus facilitating movement through dense vegetation

Management Concerns• Degradation of habitat due to draining

of wetlands.• Thickening of sedges and other

vegetation may reduce the reproduction due to lack of adequate nesting sites.

Management

• Protection of wetlands.• Periodic burnings to thin out vegetation

so that adequate nesting sites are available.