Page 158 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

RAILS, CRAKES,AND COOTS
Order Gruiformes Family Rallidae Species Rallus aquaticus
Water Rail

pale to rich brown
pale buff upperparts with thick
ADULT
under short, dark streaks
cocked tail
red eye
black tip
slate-grey of pointed
head and red bill
breast
trailing feet
narrowly
IN FLIGHT
barred flanks
grey chest
pink legs
untidy bars
below
dull legs

ADULT
JUVENILE
his is often a difficult bird to see, not so much because it is FLIGHT: quick, short, low flights with raised,
Tshy but as a result of its habit of skulking in dense waterside whirring wings and dangling legs and toes.
vegetation; occasionally a Water Rail on open mud will
show itself off remarkably well. Because of its habitat
requirements, it is very patchily distributed and
generally scarce, but large reedbeds can have big
populations, best detected by listening at dawn and
dusk for their loud, squealing calls.
VOICE Loud, hard, repetitive kipkipkipkipkip, frequent
loud, squealing and grunting (generally pig-like) notes.
NESTING Shallow dish of broad leaves and grass stems,
in vegetation raised a little above water level; 6–11
eggs; 2 broods; May–August.
FEEDING Mostly feeds on insects and molluscs but REEDBED WADER
very opportunistic, taking even voles and small birds, Water Rails typically wade through the shallows in and around reeds and
dead animals, seeds, and berries. swampy willow thickets, now and then appearing at the edges.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
In most of Europe except
MOORHEN juvenile; N Scandinavia in wet reedbeds,
see p.158
short sedges, and dense reedmace by
bill plainer pools; also in overgrown ditches,
brown
muddy ponds, sometimes flooded
places under willows and alders,
and overgrown riversides.
SPOTTED CRAKE white shorter bill Seen in the UK
see p.157 under tail J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 22–28cm (9–11in) Wingspan 38–45cm (15–18in) Weight 85–190g (3–7oz)
Social Family groups Lifespan Up to 6 years Status Secure†
156