King Rail (Râle élégant)
Rallus elegans
Summary 3
The King Rail (Rallus elegans) is a waterbird, the largest North American rail.
Rallus elegans 4
A large (15-19 inches) rail, the King Rail is most easily identified by its mottled brown back, rusty neck, streaked flanks, and dark brown face patch near the eye. This species may be separated from the similarly-colored Virginia Rail (Rallus limnicola) by that species’ much smaller size, and from the similarly-sized Clapper Rail(Rallus longirostris) by that species’ paler body and grayer face. Male and female King Rails are similar to one another in all seasons. The King Rail breeds across much of the eastern United States and southern Canada, being absent only from New England, the Appalachian Mountains, and the upper Midwest. Northerly-breeding populations migrate south to the coastal southeast in winter, whereas southern- and coastal-breeding populations are non-migratory. Other non-migratory populations exist in Cuba and central Mexico. King Rails breed in a variety of marshland habitats in areas of fresh or brackish water, utilizing similar habitat types during the winter. As this species avoids pure saltwater, it experiences limited competition with the Clapper Rail, which favors saltwater marshes. King Rails primarily eat small invertebrates, such as insects and crustaceans. In appropriate habitat, King Rails may be seen wading in shallow water while foraging for food on the submerged bank. If these birds are more hidden, perhaps beneath tall marsh grasses, it may still be possible to hear their call, a grating “chuck” repeated many times in succession. King Rails are primarily active during the day, although they may be heard calling at night.
Statut 5
Status : Ve
Date d'arrivée record:
Date de départ record:
Il est à noter que la liste des mentions ci-dessous peut inclure certaines mentions non-confirmées ou considérées comme invalides après leur publication. Cette liste est fournie à titre d'information uniquement, et elle est principalement mise à jour grâce aux mentions publiées dans la chronique saisonnière de la revue QuébecOiseaux. Certaines mentions récentes, identifiées avec la référence "web", réfèrent souvent à des mentions publiées sur la page des oiseaux rares du Québec.
Cherchez les mentions de Râle élégant sur la page des oiseaux rares du Québec.
No Localité Dates Référence
- Sabrevois 10/1899 Godfrey (1986)
- Île des Soeurs 21/05/1951 Gaboriault (1951)
- Contrecoeur 03/06/1972 AB 26:743
L'Isle-Verte 29/05/1973 David (1980); photo NMC
photo publiée- L'Ange-Gardien 17/07/1973 BO 18:14
Sources and Credits
- (c) Flickr, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8195/8092863433_3d588e867e_o.jpg
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7457894@N04/3525550440
- Adapted by Roger Simard from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rallus_elegans
- Adapted by Roger Simard from a work by (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22710169
- (c) Roger Simard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
