Clapper rail

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Clapper rail (Rallus crepitans)

The clapper rail is a large brown bird of wetlands along the Atlantic coast of the eastern United States, eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean islands. It belongs to the rail family (Rallidae) and was once grouped with the mangrove rail, but a 2013 genetic study showed they are separate species. The name crepitans is Latin for “resounding.”

Description and status:
It is chicken-sized, gray-brown with a pale chestnut breast. The bill curves slightly downward; in males the base of the bill is orange-yellow, while in females it is duller. Adults are about 32–41 cm long and weigh 199–400 g. Males and females look similar. The conservation status is Least Concern.

Habitat and range:
Clapper rails live in salt marshes and are found along the Atlantic coasts of the eastern U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, eastern Mexico, some Caribbean islands, and south through eastern Central America, with a few inland locations. On the East Coast, populations are stable, but overall numbers have declined due to habitat loss. They are highly mobile across their range, with females roaming more than males.

Diet and behavior:
They eat crustaceans, aquatic insects, and small fish. They search for food by walking in shallow water or mud, sometimes probing with their long bills.

Reproduction:
Nests are large platforms of dry grasses built on the ground in dense vegetation. Clutch size ranges from 4 to 16 eggs, averaging about 9. Eggs are creamy white with blotches of reddish-brown, grey, or lilac. Both parents incubate for about 20 days, with the male incubating at night. The young are brooded for several days, become independent at about six weeks, and can fly at around ten weeks.

Subspecies:
Eight subspecies are recognized.