Color Key to North American Birds Part 25

The Rails (Subfamily Rallinae) are inhabitants of gra.s.sy marshes where, trusting to their long legs, they more often escape observation by running than by flying. One may hear their characteristic notes coming from the dense growth only a few yards distant and still be unable to catch a glimpse of their maker.

Rails nest on the ground laying six to twelve or fifteen buffy eggs spotted with reddish brown. The young of all our species are born covered with a shining black down.

The Gallinules (Subfamily Gallinulinae) are more aquatic than the Rails and are consequently less difficult to observe.

The Coots (Subfamily Fulicinae) are still more aquatic than the Gallinules, as might be supposed from their lobed toes, in fact are as much at home in the water as though they were Ducks. Both Gallinules and Coots lay eight to sixteen buffy, thickly speckled eggs in a nest of reeds often built on a pile of rushes in the reeds.

Cranes and Limpkin

[Ill.u.s.tration: 204.]

=204. Whooping Crane= (_Grus americana_). L. 50. _Ads._ White; skin of top of head dull red; primaries black. _Yng._ Head feathered, plumage more or less washed with rusty.

Range.--Interior of North America: breeds from northern Mississippi Valley north to Arctic regions; winters from Gulf States southward.

=205. Little Brown Crane= (_Grus canadensis_). L. 35. W. 18; B. 4.

_Ads._ Skin of top of head dull red; plumage brownish gray. _Yng._ Head feathered, plumage with more or less rusty.

Range.--"Northern North America from Hudson Bay to Alaska, migrating south through western United States east of Rocky Mountains to Mexico." (Ridgway.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 206.]

=206. Sandhill Crane= (_Grus mexicana_). Similar to No. 205, but larger. L. 44: W. 20; B. 5. _Notes._ A loud, sonorous, grating, _krrrow_, repeated five or more times.

Range.--North America; breeds locally from Texas, Cuba, Florida north through Mississippi Valley to Manitoba, British Columbia, and Oregon; winters from northern California and Gulf States southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 207.]

=207. Limpkin= (_Aramus giganteus_). L. 28. _Ads._ Glossy olive-brown, striped with white; wings and tail more bronzy. _Notes._ A loud _wah-ree-ow_, repeated and the last note prolonged into a wail.

Range.--Central America and West Indies north to southern Texas and Florida.

Rails

[Ill.u.s.tration: 208.]

=208. King Rail= (_Rallus elegans_). L. 15. _Ads._ Above olive-brown, black, and olive-gray; wing-coverts reddish brown; neck and breast cinnamon; belly and sides _blackish_, _sharply_ and broadly barred with white. _Notes._ A loud _bup_, _bup_, _bup_, repeated and ending in a roll.

Range.--Eastern United States; breeds from Florida north to Connecticut and South Dakota; strays to Maine; winters from Virginia and Lower Mississippi Valley south to Gulf States.

=209. Belding Rail= (_Rallus beldingi_). Similar to No. 208, but paler; flank-bars narrower.

Range.--Lower California.

=210. California Clapper Rail= (_Rallus obsoletus_). L. 17. Above grayish olive-brown streaked with blackish brown; breast cinnamon; flanks dusky brown narrowly banded with white. Margins to back feathers much broader than in forms of _crepitans_.

Range.--Salt Marshes of Pacific coast north to Washington.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 212.]

=212. Virginia Rail= (_Rallus virginia.n.u.s_). L. 9.5; B. 1.5. _Ads._ Above blackish and grayish brown; wing-coverts reddish brown; below cinnamon, flanks black and white. Resembling a King Rail in color, but much smaller. _Notes._ Calls, _kep_ or _kik_; song, a grunting sound and _cut_, _cutta-cutta-cutta_. (Brewster.)

Range.--North America; breeds from Pennsylvania, Long Island, northern Illinois, and middle California north to Labrador, Manitoba, and British Columbia; winters from about its southern breeding limits south to Cuba and Guatemala.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 215.]

=215. Yellow Rail.= (_Porzana noveboracensis_). L. 7; B. .5. _Ads._ Above black and buffy barred with white; breast buffy; sides brownish barred with white. Notes. An abrupt cackling, _'krek_, _'krek_, _'krek_, _'krek_, _kuk_, _'k'k'k_. (Nuttall.)

Range.--Eastern North America north to New Brunswick, Quebec, and Hudson Bay, west to Manitoba and rarely California; probably breeds chiefly north; winters in southern States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 211.]

=211. Clapper Rail, Marsh Hen= (_Rallus crepitans_). L. 14.5; W. 5; B. 2.5. _Ads._ Above _pale_ olive bordered by _gray_; wing-coverts _pale_ grayish brown; breast _pale_ cinnamon; flanks barred _gray_ and white. _Notes._ _Gkak_, _gkak_, _gkak_, at first loud and rapid, ending lower and slower.

Range.--Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast; breeds from North Carolina to Connecticut; winters from Long Island (rarely) southward, north casually to Ma.s.sachusetts; south casually to Louisiana.

=211a. Louisiana Clapper Rail= (_R. c. saturatus_). Similar to No. 211, but above rich brown edged with olive; breast darker cinnamon; bill more slender, 2.3.

Range.--Coast of Louisiana.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 211b.]

=211b. Scott Clapper Rail= (_R. c. scotti_). Similar to No. 211, but much darker; sooty brown or black above edged with olive-brown or olive-gray; breast and neck cinnamon, washed with brownish; flanks brown and white. Darkest bird of group.

Range.--Gulf coast of Florida.

=211c. Wayne Clapper Rail= (_R. c. waynei_). Similar to No. 211, but darker, back rich olive-brown edged with gray; breast more ashy.

Range.--Atlantic coast, North Carolina to eastern Florida.

=211.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail= (_Rallus longirostris caribaeus_).

L. 14; W. 5.7; B. 2.4. _Ads._ Above olive-brown edged with olive-ashy, breast cinnamon; flanks _brown_ and white.

Range.--West Indies; coast of southeastern Texas (and northeastern Mexico?).

[Ill.u.s.tration: 214.]

=214. Carolina Rail= (_Porzana carolina_). L. 8.5; B. 8. _Ads._ Region about base of bill black. _Yng._ Similar, but no black about base of bill; breast more cinnamon. _Notes._ Calls, _kuk_ or _peep_, song, _ker-wee_; and a high, rolling _whinny_.

Range.--North America; breeds from Long Island, Illinois, Kansas, and southern California, north to Newfoundland, Hudson Bay region, and British Columbia; winters from South Carolina, southern Illinois, and northern California south to South America.