- Virginia Rail
Taxobox
name = Virginia Rail
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
image_width = 200px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Gruiformes
familia =Rallidae
genus = "Rallus "
species = "R. limicola"
binomial = "Rallus limicola"
binomial_authority = Vieillot,1819 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 fromNova Scotia toCalifornia andNorth Carolina , also inCentral America andSouth 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 andCentral America . On thePacific 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.
References
* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2120id.html Virginia Rail - Rallus limicola] - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Virginia_Rail.html Virginia Rail Species Account] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/virginia_rail_info.htm Virginia Rail Information and Photos] - South Dakota Birds and Birding
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=virginia+rail&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Virginia Rail photo gallery] VIREO; (with picture: egg clutch)
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=1243 Virginia Rail videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.