Virginia Rail
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola, is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae
.
Adults are mainly brown, darker on the back and crown, with orange-brown legs. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim reddish bill. Their cheeks are grey, with a light stripe over the eye and a whitish throat.
Their breeding habitat is marsh
es from Nova Scotia
to California
and North Carolina
, also in Central America
and South America
. The female lays 5 to 13 eggs in a platform built from cattails and other plants in a dry location in the marsh. Both parents care for the young, who are able to fly in less than a month.
Northern populations migrate
to the southern United States
and Central America
. On the Pacific coast, some are permanent residents.
These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and aquatic animals.
This bird has a number of calls, including a harsh kuk kuk kuk, usually heard at night.
These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen.
The southern subspecies R. l. aequatorialis is sometimes split as the Ecuadorean Rail Rallus aequatorialis.
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
.
Adults are mainly brown, darker on the back and crown, with orange-brown legs. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim reddish bill. Their cheeks are grey, with a light stripe over the eye and a whitish throat.
Their breeding habitat is marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, also in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The female lays 5 to 13 eggs in a platform built from cattails and other plants in a dry location in the marsh. Both parents care for the young, who are able to fly in less than a month.
Northern populations migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. On the Pacific coast, some are permanent residents.
These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and aquatic animals.
This bird has a number of calls, including a harsh kuk kuk kuk, usually heard at night.
These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen.
The southern subspecies R. l. aequatorialis is sometimes split as the Ecuadorean Rail Rallus aequatorialis.
External links
- Virginia Rail on the Global Biodiversity Information FacilityGlobal Biodiversity Information FacilityThe Global Biodiversity Information Facility is an international organisation that focuses on making scientific data on biodiversity available via the Internet using web services. The data are provided by many institutions from around the world; GBIF's information architecture makes these data...
- Virginia Rail - Rallus limicola - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Virginia Rail Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Virginia Rail Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Virginia Rail photo gallery VIREO; (with picture: egg clutchClutch (eggs)A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
) - Virginia Rail videos on the Internet Bird Collection