Virginia Rail Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Virginia Rails have such a reputation as "skulkers", ghosts of the marsh that are rarely seen. In many ways that's true, as they rarely flush and fly, preferring to run away when disturbed or faced with danger. They are also generally avoid open areas, so it's also pretty darn rare to happen across a Virginia Rail foraging out in the open. However, I've found that 1) they are VERY common in South Dakota, and can be found in most areas of extensive cattail marsh, and 2) sightings are quite possible, given patience. There are so many gravel roads running through the middle of wetlands in South Dakota...my strategy for these guys is to simple pull along side a wetland in my car, open the window, turn off the car, and wait. It doesn't take that long before they forget about you, and start foraging normally in the vegetation. The photo of the one below was momentarily "caught" in the open, when it noticed the dude with the camera. A quick glance towards a flash of movement from the car, and it scampered back into the cattails. That moment though was enough for me to capture a nearly unobstructed view of a Virginia Rail, always a nice treat.

Virginia Rail - Rallus limnicola


Virginia Rail 1	Virginia Rail 2	Virginia Rail 3	Virginia Rail 4
July 4th, 2006	July 4th, 2006	July 4th, 2006	July 4th, 2006
Near Tea, South Dakota	Near Tea, South Dakota	Near Tea, South Dakota	Near Tea, South Dakota
Bird in cattail habiatat	Bird in cattail habitat	Closeup of head and upper body	Bird in cattail habitat with scattered duckweed

Virginia Rail 5	Virginia Rail 6	Virginia Rail 7	Virginia Rail 8
May 27th, 2007	May 27th, 2007	May 27th, 2007	May 2nd, 2010
Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Lake County, South Dakota
Profile of bird in shallow wetland habitat	Closeup profile of head and upper body	Partially hidden bird, closeup in habitat	Bird in relative open! In cattail habitat

Virginia Rail 9	Virginia Rail 10	Virginia Rail 11	Virginia Rail 12
May 2nd, 2010	May 3rd, 2015	May 6th, 2017	May 6th, 2017
Lake County, South Dakota	Kingsbury County, South Dakota	Lincoln County, South Dakota	Lincoln County, South Dakota
Virginia Rail in wonderful light, great pose	Bird hiding in typical wetland habitat	Partially hidden bird wading in shallow water	Partially hidden bird wading in shallow water

Virginia Rail 13	Virginia Rail 14
May 18th, 2020	May 4th, 2019
Lake County, South Dakota	Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Rail wading in the open on a sunny day	Rail in typical cattail habitat, partially hidden