Black Rail

Black Rails appear to be omnivorous, feeding primarily on small invertebrates but also on seeds of some marsh plants. They are preyed upon by many avian and mammalian predators and rely on the cover of thick marsh vegetation for protection. They are territorial and call loudly and frequently during the mating season.

The Black Rail is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) is a mouse-sized member of the Rallidae family of birds. It is found in scattered parts of North America and the Pacific region of South America, usually in coastal salt marshes but also in some freshwater marshes. It is extinct or threatened in many locations due to habitat loss. The largest populations in North America are in Florida and California. Black Rails appear to be omnivorous, feeding primarily on small invertebrates but also on seeds of some marsh plants. More

The Black Rail is rarely seen and prefers running in the cover of the dense marsh vegetation to flying. It will often make its presence known, however, with its distinctive ki-ki-krr call or an aggressive, presumably territorial, growl. The best opportunity to see a Black Rail is during an extremely high tide when the birds are forced out of the coastal marshes into nearby fields and brush for cover. More

The smallest rail in North America, the Black Rail is perhaps the most secretive too. This small denizen of shallow salt and freshwater marshes is rarely seen and its distinctive "kick-ee-doo" call is heard primarily at night. More

actually seen only a few dozen black rails (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus). Most often these sightings occur moments before a predator, usually an egret or heron, snatches it from the edge of the marsh. As the small bird struggles in the beak of the larger bird, I get a fleeting glimpse of the plumage - charcoal and chestnut, lightly speckled with white - that identifies the prey as a black rail. Then it's gone; down the gullet. More

The Black Rail has a current evaluation of Near Threatened. The population of the Black Rail is thought to be declining moderately. While this bird can be found in many locales in the world, including North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, it is rarely seen in many specific locations. The global population of the Black Rail is not though to exceed 100,000 individual birds at this time, which is a decrease over the last decade. More

Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis WatchList 2007 Status: http://web1.audubon.org/filerepository/science/speciesprofiles/watchlist/Red. More

The Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) is a mouse-sized member of the Rallidae family of birds. It is found in scattered parts of North America and the Pacific region of South ... ... en.wikipedia.org * Black Rail, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell ... More

The secretive Black Rail is truly a bird more often heard than seen. They are very reluctant to fly when disturbed, preferring to slip unseen along mouse trails in marsh habitat. When forced to fly, they typically flutter short distances with dangling legs. But their migratory flight shows they are able to fly for longer distances. These rails can also swim short distances. The males give a distinctive kic-kic-kerr call during the breeding season. More

A photo of a black rail in the grass More

The elusive Black Rail breeds in a few locations in coastal marshes from Connecticut to Florida, along the Gulf Coast from Peninsular Florida to Texas, with sporadic records from the interior (Michigan and Kansas), though no nests have been confirmed in many years. In California breeds around San Francisco Bay area and on the lower Colorado River, though there is a paucity of recent records from the latter; few still resident at Mittry Lake, Arizona. More

CCB | Eastern Black Rail Conservation & Management Working Group CCB Home Protection Status * Home * Population * Status * Distribution * Range * Habitats * Protection Status More

Black Rail Illustration Copyright More

(Rallidae) Black Rail Head Illustration Head * Bill Shape: All-purpose * Eye Color: Red in adults, reddish brown in juveniles. More

Black Rail - Definition = Black Rail Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Laterallus Species: jamaicensis Binomial name Laterallus jamaicensis More

CCB | Eastern Black Rail Conservation & Management Working Group CCB Home Home Welcome to the website of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Working Group for Conservation of the black rail. This workgroup is focused on bringing together biologists and land managers towards restoration and management of the black rail. Working with a host of partners, our hope is to create a forum for the exchange of ideas on black rail ecology, status, threats, and conservation. More

The Saga of Photographing a Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) in Kansas = (A friendly competition between good friends Bob Gress and David Seibel, told from Bob More