Clapper Rail
Rallus crepitans
Large, generally drab rail, but plumage variable depending on location. Can look very similar to King Rail. Atlantic coast birds dull grayish-brown overall with few contrasting features; faintly barred gray-and-white on sides and pale orange bill. Gulf Coast population brighter with orange neck, more similar to King Rail; note paler and more diffuse barring on sides and less contrasting dark streaks on back. Almost always found in saltmarshes close to the coast, where it can be abundant and vocal. Never in inland freshwater marshes, where replaced by King Rail. Usually shy, but regularly seen feeding along the edge of channels. Listen for series of harsh "kek" notes or loud, rasping grunts erupting from marsh. Sometimes hybridizes with King Rail where fresh and saltwater meet; some birds best left unidentified.
识别特征
The clapper rail is a chicken-sized bird that rarely flies. It is grayish brown with a pale chestnut breast. Males and females have similar plumage. The bill which curves slightly downwards is orange yellow at the base in males and duller in females. An adult bird has an overall length of 32–41 cm (13–16 in) and weighs 199–400 g (7.0–14.1 oz).
分类信息
The clapper rail was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other rails in the genus Rallus and coined the binomial name Rallus crepitans. Gmelin based his description on those by Thomas Pennant and John Latham. The type locality is Long Island, New York. The genus Rallus had been erected in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The specific epithet crepitans is Latin meaning "breaking wind" or "resounding".<p>The clapper rail was formerly treated as a subspecies of the mangrove rail (Rallus longirostris). The decision to treat the clapper rail as a separate species was based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study that was published in 2013. A cladogram based on the 2013 genetic study is as follows:<p>Eight subspecies of the clapper rail are recognised:
- 学名
- Rallus crepitans
- 命名信息
- Gmelin, JF, 1789
- 目
- Gruiformes
- 科
- Rallidae
- 属
- Rallus
分布与栖息地
The clapper rail is 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, as well at several inland locales. Populations are stable on the East Coast of the U.S., although the numbers of this bird have declined due to habitat loss. Clapper rails are saltmarsh specialists, and are highly mobile across their range, with females showing weak philopatry and a lack of philopatry in males.
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
行为
These birds eat crustaceans, aquatic insects, and small fish. They search for food while walking, sometimes probing with their long bills, in shallow water or mud.<p>The nest is a large platform of dry grasses and is usually placed on the ground in dense vegetation. The clutch size varies between 4 and 16 eggs with an average of 9. The eggs measure 42.5 mm × 30 mm (1.67 in × 1.18 in) and are creamy white with irregular blotches of reddish-brown, grey or lilac. They are incubated for 20 days by both parents with the male incubating at night. The young are brooded by the adults for several days. They become independent of the adults when 6 weeks old and can fly when 10 weeks old.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes medius
Medium-large black-and-white woodpecker. Marginally smaller than Great Spotted Woodpecker, but rounded head and shortish beak exaggerate this size difference. Both sexes are similar, with a red crown (brighter in the male) and an incomplete cheek bar. It has a rattle call: "kíg-gag-gag-gag-gag" and gives a nasal long-drawn series of “gwaaag” calls. Rarely drums. Closely tied to old deciduous forests, often in areas with an abundance of oak or beech.
Hartlaub's Babbler
Turdoides hartlaubii
Boldly marked babbler with a red eye and a white rump and belly. The white rump is very obvious in flight. Found in marsh, wet scrub, gallery forest, and thick woodland. Almost always in groups, which vary in size from several up to 15 individuals. Usually feeds by hopping along the ground. Raucous babbling call is frequently given, usually by a whole group in chorus. Similar in shape, size, and overall brown coloration to Arrow-marked and Black-faced Babblers, but easily separated by red eye, white rump and belly, and broad markings on the underparts.
Jerdon's Leafbird
Chloropsis jerdoni
Crisp emerald-green forest-dweller. Male has a dark blue throat patch outlined by a thick black border. Female has a pale blue throat with no dark border. Only similarly-colored bird in range is the Golden-fronted Leafbird, which has an orange forehead. Jerdon’s Leafbird is a species of lowland and foothill forests, particularly dry open wooded areas and forest edges. Joins mixed-species flocks, particularly at flowering and fruiting trees. Song is an assemblage of harsh squeaks, buzzing notes, whistles, and imitations of other species.
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