King RailKing Rail -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 16 inches | Wingspan: 20-22 inches | Seasonality: Rare Visitor |
| ID Keys: Large size, richly covered with sharp black and white barring on flanks, rusty body with dark striping on back, long bill. | ||
King Rail
Rallus elegans
The King Rail is the largest of the North American Rails. They are less shy than many of the rails, and can sometimes be seen boldly foraging in open shallow waters. They are very closely related to the Clapper Rail. While the King Rail is a primarily a bird of fresh water and the Clapper Rail is primarily a bird of salt water, they do often interbreed where the intermix on brackish near-coastal waters.
Habitat: Uses a variety of shallow fresh- and brackish-water habitats, provided dense cover is available.
Diet: Feeds heavily on aquatic insects, especially beetles. Also feeds on crayfish, crabs, snails, clams, small fish, frogs, and seeds of aquatic plants.
Breeding: Only a handful of breeding records in South Dakota (SDOU, 2001).
Song: Sharp kek-kek-kek-kek.
Migrations: Summers throughout much of the eastern half of the United States. Birds in the northern part of its range move southward to the southeastern U.S. in winter, while those at the southern part of its range are permanent residents.
Similar Species: Clapper Rail
Status: Has declined in many areas due to habitat loss.
Further Information: 1)
USGS
Patuxent
Bird Identification InfoCenter, King Rail
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - King Rail"
Photo Information: Photo from Ohio, courtesy of Lana Hays
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This page was last edited on 02/03/08