Clapper rail

Appearance

The clapper rail is a chicken-sized bird that rarely flies. It is grayish brown with a pale chestnut breast and a noticeable white patch under the tail. Its bill curves slightly downwards.

Naming

Currently named subspecies of the clapper rail include:

⤷ "Rallus c. belizensis"—Ycacos clapper rail; Ycacos Lagoon, Belize
⤷ "Rallus c. caribaeus"—Caribbean clapper rail
⤷ "Rallus c. coryi"
⤷ "Rallus c. crepitans", nominate
⤷ "Rallus longirostris grossi"
⤷ "Rallus longirostris insularum"—Mangrove clapper rail
⤷ "Rallus longirostris leucophaeus"
⤷ "Rallus longirostris pallidus"
⤷ "Rallus longirostris saturatus"—Gulf Coast clapper rail; U.S. Gulf Coasts of southwest Alabama through Texas, and of Tamaulipas.
⤷ "Rallus longirostris scottii"
⤷ "Rallus longirostris waynei"

Distribution

The clapper rail and its subspecies are found along the Atlantic Ocean coasts and several inland locales of the Americas.

The clapper rail is found along the Atlantic coasts; of the U.S. East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean islands, and south through eastern Central America.

Populations are stable on the East Coast of the U.S. — although the numbers of this bird have declined due to habitat loss.

Habitat

The clapper rail and its subspecies are found along the Atlantic Ocean coasts and several inland locales of the Americas.

The clapper rail is found along the Atlantic coasts; of the U.S. East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean islands, and south through eastern Central America.

Populations are stable on the East Coast of the U.S. — although the numbers of this bird have declined due to habitat loss.

Reproduction

The twig nest is placed low in mangrove roots, and 3-7 purple-spotted buff eggs are laid.

Food

These birds eat crustaceans, aquatic insects, and small fish. They search for food while walking, sometimes probing with their long bills, in shallow water or mud.