- Rallus aquaticus
Identification
Upperparts olive-brown with broad, black streaks, broad bars on underparts, and greyish supercillium.
Distribution
Breeds throughout most of the Palearctic; winters to India and southern China.
Taxonomy
Brown-cheeked Rail used to be included in this species as a subspecies.
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies1:
- R. a. hibernans - Iceland
- R. a. aquaticus - Western Palearctic
- R. a. korejewi - Iran to north-western China; winters to India and southern China
Habitat
Reed-beds, marshes, etc.
Behaviour
A skulker, this bird is much more often located by its piglet-like squeals. Food includes both invertebrates and plant materials like seeds.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Rallus aquaticus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Water Rail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Water_Rail
External Links