Overview
The king rail is the largest North American rail. It can be identified by its long downward curving bill, red to rusty brown chest, back, and neck, black and white flank stripes, and compact body.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallus
- Species
- elegans
Habitat
Marshes and wetlands.
Diet
Aquatic insects and crustaceans.
Behavior
This bird is diurnal, contrasting with its smaller, nocturnal relatives. The nest is a raised platform built with marsh vegetation and covered by a canopy. This is to hide the eggs of this bird from predators that are searching from above. The king rail lays a clutch of 6 to 14 pale buff eggs with brown spotting. They usually measure 41 by 30 millimetres (1.6 by 1.2 in). Both parents incubate the eggs for 21 to 23 days. When the eggs hatch, the young are covered in down and are able to leave the nest. They are not, although, able to feed themselves, and thus must rely on their parents for food for up to six weeks after they hatch.
Hunting
More information needed.
Conservation Status
Listed as Near Threatened by IUCN.