Yellow Rail

Yellow Rail, adult; Aitkin Co., MN; June

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

Because of its secretive nature, the Yellow Rail is infrequently encountered. The second-smallest rail in North America, it breeds in sedge marshes and winters in marshes and hay fields.

Description

Small marshbird. Difficult to see; runs under vegetation. Short yellow or blackish bill. Very short tail. Buffy yellow chest and face. Yellowish and black streaks on back. Crown dark. Dark stripe through eyes. Indistinct white patch at back of wings.

• Size: 13-18 cm (5-7 in)
• Wingspan: 28-32 cm (11-13 in)
• Weight: 41-68 g (1.45-2.4 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but breeding male and some breeding females have yellow bill; most females and nonbreeding male with blackish bill. Male larger.

Sound

Call a metallic clicking in strict cadence, "tic-tic, tic-tic-tic."

Conservation Status

Because of secretive nature, no information available on population trends. It is listed as "threatened" or "endangered" in some states and as "vulnerable" in Quebec.

Other Names

Râle jaune (French)
Gallineta amarilla (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The distinctive clicking calls of the Yellow Rail are given almost exclusively during the dark of the night.

Sources used to construct this page:

Bookhout, T. A. 1995. Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 139 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, andThe American Ornithologists? Union, Washington, D.C.