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
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
保护状况
Population trend: declining.
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Black-chested Sparrow
Peucaea humeralis
Very handsome but rather local sparrow endemic to interior southwest Mexico. Found in scrubby woodland and edge of dry tropical foothills and interior valleys. Usually in pairs or small groups, which keep in touch with high, rhythmic twittering choruses. Can be very skulking. Mostly stays low in brush or on the ground, but sings from atop bushes. Plumage distinctive, with black chest, white whisker, and rusty back.
Square-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus ludwigii
Small drongo with a slightly notched tail. Found in open forest, thick woodland, and thickets. Not as bold or conspicuous as the common Fork-tailed Drongo. Often in pairs. Song is an explosive and highly variable mix of whistles, squeals, and rasps. Similar to Velvet-mantled and Fork-tailed drongos, but with a much less forked tail. Very similar to Shining Drongo, but Square-tailed has less glossy plumage, a redder eye, and prefers drier habitats. Distinguished from black-flycatchers by heavier bill and red eye. Upright posture is unlike other all-black mid-sized birds.
Asir Magpie
Pica asirensis
A crow-like bird with a long, narrow tail. Flashy black-and-white pattern distinctive within range. An endangered species, this is a rare but conspicuous bird of juniper forest and riverine scrub between 2200–3000m in the Asir massif of southwestern Saudia Arabia, where it typically moves in pairs and small family groups. Very vocal, often giving loud querulous grating “kuaynk-kuaynk” calls and high-pitched woodpecker-like “keenk” notes. Does not overlap in range with Eurasian Magpie, but Asir has less white in the plumage, a larger bill, and a shorter tail.
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