Sora
(Porzana carolina)
The Sora rarely flies, except when it is flushed or at night during spring and fall migration. Fairly common in winter, spring, and fall in Gulf Coast region.
(photo by Dave Cagnolatti)
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Sora
(Porzana carolina)
Like most rails, it appears to fly weakly when flushed. In fact, it is a fast, powerful flier.
(photo by Terry Hartley) |
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King Rail
(Rallus elegans)
This species is found in freshwater marshes with grassy or reedy vegetation. It is usually segregated from Clapper Rail by salinity, overlapping only narrowly in brackish marshes.
(Photo by Marlene Cashen)
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Virginia Rail
(Rallus limicola)
The 9 inch Virginia Rail is similar to the 15 inch King Rail but smaller. It is fairly common winter, spring and fall in freshwater, brackish, and salt marshes on the Gulf Coast.
(photo by Marlene Cashen)
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostris)
Clapper Rail is common throughout the year in salt and brackish marshes on the Alabama coast. It builds its nest of grass near the ground in a marshy place usually in a clump of vegetation.
(Photo by Dave Cagnolatti) |
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostri)
photo by Marlene Cashen
The Clapper Rail is named for its noisy rattling call which is said to sound like old-time clappers. A series of grating kek-kek-kek notes , accelerating then dropping off. The song is most often heard at dusk on moonlit nights or when suddenly disturbed by loud noise. |
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostris)
Clapper Rails are shy, retiring birds of salt marshes, where they walk about in the shelter of dense grasses and reeds and are more often heard than seen. The marshes that fringe Weeks Bay are favorite habitat.
(Photo by P.F. Chandler) |
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostris))
NatureServe ranks the Clapper Rail as S3 in Alabama. This means the species is vulnerable to extirpation. Their only salvation may lie in the acquisition of salt marshes to prevent commercial exploitation without regard for the perpetuation of our living natural resources.
(Photo by John Borom) |
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostris))
Rails are capable of greatly compressing their bodies laterally and are able to slip between stalks of grass seemingly too close together to allow the birds to pass. They stick their bills out in front to deflect blades of grass one way or the other and scoot on their long toes through the vegetation almost as fast as if it were not there at all.
(Photo by John Borom) |
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Clapper Rail
(Rallus longirostris)
Crabs, shrimps, small fishes, snails and clamworms are the principal food of this rail, but it also consumes a small amount of seeds.
(Photo by John Borom) |
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