Species

King rail

Rallus elegans

The largest North American rail, a rusty, chicken-sized bird of freshwater and brackish marshes.

Photo Jody Shugart (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 38 to 48 cm long
Weight: About 250 to 450 g
Habitat: Freshwater and brackish marshes, rice fields and wet meadows
Diet: Crayfish, crabs, insects, snails, small fish and seeds
In Georgia: An uncommon resident, mostly on the coastal plain and coast
Voice: A deep, grunting "kek-kek-kek"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Large rail with warm cinnamon breast; long bill; bold black and white barring on the flanks
Told apart from: Clapper rail, which is greyer and lives in salt marsh
Told apart from: Virginia rail, which is much smaller with a grey face
Where to look: Edges of freshwater marshes and impoundments, especially at dawn and dusk

Behaviour

King rails move secretively through dense marsh plants and wade in shallow water to catch crayfish and other prey. Pairs defend territories with loud calls.

Why they matter

King rails have declined across much of their range as freshwater marshes were drained. They are a sign of healthy, well-managed wetlands, and coastal impoundments in Georgia are important to them.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A basket of plants above water, often with a canopy
Eggs — Usually 10 to 12
Incubation — About 21 to 23 days
Chicks — Downy and black; leave the nest soon after hatching
Flight — At about nine weeks
Lifespan — A few years

Living around people

Draining or filling small freshwater marshes removes their habitat for good.

Misconceptions

King and clapper rails are the same bird. They are separate species, though they sometimes interbreed where fresh and salt marsh meet.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Resident	Calling	Pairs forming	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Chicks	Young independent	Present	Present	Present	Present

Where it lives

Recorded in 24 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

If you found one

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