King Rail Photo Gallery
Adult
Large, slender rail with a short tail and long bill. Upperparts are mottled brown and rusty. Flanks are barred white. Neck and breast are rusty.
© Daniel Irons / Macaulay LibraryMaryland, March 22, 2020Adult
Large and slender with a long neck and bill. Neck and chest are rusty. Flanks are barred dark and white.
© Brendan Klick / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 06, 2017Adult with juveniles
King Rail chicks follow their parents for several weeks learning how to forage. By the time they are 4-6 weeks old they obtain about half of their food and by about 7-9 weeks find all of their own food.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryTexasNot all videos have soundAdult
Note white barring on flanks and overall warm rusty tones.
© Jeff Timmons / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, June 02, 2018Adult with juveniles
Call is a staccato series of harsh, throaty notes, more crisply delivered than Clapper Rail.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryTexasNot all videos have soundAdult
Occurs in tidal brackish and nontidal freshwater marshes including rice fields. Tail often held up.
© Jeff Timmons / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, June 14, 2017Adult
Typically forages in densely vegetated freshwater wetlands where it can be difficult to see. Forages more frequently at dawn and dusk.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, May 01, 1999Not all videos have soundAdult
Forages for small aquatic crustaceans, fish, amphibians, insects, and seeds by probing bill into the water and mud.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, May 01, 1999Not all videos have sound
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.