Rails

Biology, Ecology, and Management

Classification Kingdom AnimaliaPhylum Chordata

Class AvesOrder GruiformesFamily Rallidae

CoturnicopsLaterallus

RallusAramidesPorzana

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 palmeri

Laysan Rail

Porzana sandwichensis

Hawaiian Rail

Rails of Kentucky

There are 4 found in Kentucky!Coturnicops noveboracensis

Yellow RailRallus elegans

*King RailRallus limicola

Virginia RailPorzana carolina

Sora

*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 wetland

habitat throughout its range; it also uses

salt marshes while overwintering. • The preferred habitat provides considerable

cover for breeding soras, and consists

mostly of freshwater wetlands with

stands of cattail, sedges, and other tall

wetland plants. • Diet consists mainly of seeds, insects and

snails.

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.