Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Clapper Rail

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wild bird I am featuring the Clapper Rail. This bird is one of a few rails found on the east coast of North America. Other are the Black Rail, Yellow Rail, Virginia Rail and the King Rail. It is said their numbers are down due to the loss of their coastal wetland habitat on the west coast but is more abundant on the east coast. It is a chicken sized bird that rarely flies, it is grayish brown with a chestnut colored breast and a whitish patch under the tail.

Hubby and I had  a great sighting of a Clapper Rail at the Edwin Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey.  The wildlife refuge is located close to Atlantic City, NJ where we spent the night.





They have a long slightly down-curved bill.







I made a short YouTube video with my Clapper Rail photos. We were able to sit in our car and watch this Clapper Rail for some time.






I believe this area is the rails nest and the female might have been inside while the male went in and out while we watched..






The rail eats crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fish. They search for food by probing with their long bill in the shallow water and mud. I hope you enjoyed my Clapper Rail post.


Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

60 comments:

Shweta said...

Very informative blog. Great images that you have here :)

DIMI said...

Hello Eileen!!
Very beautiful bird!!Great shots!!I really enjoyed your video!It sings so beautiful!!Have a lovely week!!Hugs!
Dimi...

Carole M. said...

a new one to me - thanks Eileen

Karen said...

Thanks Eileen for sharing this, I haven't seen these birds before.

Helma said...

Also this is a bird that I did not know. With you, I still learn something about the birds around the world. Nice also the pictures in the video. I hope that this bird is not quite extinct.
Nice week.
Yours

Sue said...

Sweet! And that nest is hidden well!

Nancy's Notes said...

What a wonderful post, I love to learn something new and interesting! Great shots and video! Beautiful bird~

Elizabeth Edwards said...

wow, so camo ... interesting coloring. ( :

Hootin Anni said...

Fantastic Eileen!!!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

The Clapper Rail is very beautiful Eileen. What a long beak!!

Caroline Gill said...

We have Water Rails (we don't see them often, but they are always lovely to see). Your Clapper Rail looks very stylish! Thank you for visiting my blog ... have a good week!

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

enjoyed the visit

orchid0324 said...

Oh, Clapper Rail look so lovely with long bit down-curved bill in your beautiful pictures♡♡♡ How great you can make video with you-tube. I enjoyed watching the Rail in there. Sweet high singing tone♬♬♬

Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*

Irma said...

What a great video and photos, Eileen.
You have a beautiful garden, a lot of things for the birds to eat, and I even saw the squirrel too.
Greetings Irma

Beth said...

This bird is new to me. I enjoyed this post!

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely bird, lucky to see it, as i think all rails are fairly secretive

TexWisGirl said...

Such a neat bird!

Modesto Viegas said...

Very good work!!!

Linda W. said...

Interesting bird! I like it's beak.

Gail Dixon said...

Gosh, I've never heard of this one. So much to learn still! Love your images and those reddish eyes and long beak.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Oh I loved it - and out in the open for so long. I've seen only one - just a glimpse and it was gone. I keep looking.

Karen said...

Never seen or heard of it! It's quite handsome. Neat video!

Ileana said...

Beautiful bird! Have a nice day!

Nette Cecilia said...

A new bird to mee ,Nette

Montanagirl said...

How cool is that!!! Thank you for sharing these! I have never seen a Rail.

Unknown said...

A very interesting bird. Have a great day, Eileen.

mick said...

Great photos of a very interesting bird.

Carver said...

Great shots of the clapper rail.

Findlay Wilde said...

What a great bird and so well camouflaged. It must be related to our Water Rail. From Findlay

Pat said...

Great shots of and info about the Clapper Rail. It's so cool that you were able to observe the pair at their nesting site.

Our photos said...

very nice

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Interesting post Eileen -- your car made a great blind. You have good birding eyes to even see this well-camouflaged bird.

DeniseinVA said...

Super photos Eileen, an interesting bird and a new one to me. Have a great week :)

Debbie said...

These sightings are always so special!! Beautiful images!!

Sue (this n that) said...

Hi Eileen, it was intriguing to see the Clapper Rail. Hadn't come across one before.
Enjoyed your video of pics too, thanks :D)

Rambling Woods said...

I have never seen a rail. I love the video with your photos. Great idea.... Michelle from Nature Notes

George said...

Thanks for the information and wonderful photos in this post.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Beautiful shots of a rare bird. I think out here in my neck of the woods the California Clapper Rail is extremely rare.

Stephanie said...

I don't think I have ever seen a Clapper Rail, love the long bill.

Unknown said...

Wow, lucky you. It does look like there's a nest inside. Very nice clip and shots.

Lynne said...

Clapper Rail . . . another new one for me . . .

Andrea said...

Eileen, i am awed at the so plenty of birds you see on your birdwatching walks and travels.

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful Clapper Rail, I love the video Eileen.

Seraphinas Phantasie said...

Really wonderful your photos and the video. Great !
Best regards, Synnöve

i stora drag said...

Interesting to see this bird, Eileen!
I am not familar with it at all.
Have a nice week! Greetings Pia

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Very interesting post Eileen and I liked the slides you put into youtube. I have always only used youtube for video and I am not sure how to put slides on it. Is it easy.

A Colorful World said...

I've never seen one of any kind before, Eileen, and really enjoyed this post. I love their hide-out in the heavy dead grass!

Sobat Bonsai said...

great picture..like kiwi bird

Brian King said...

Great photos and video! I've never seen one of these.

Anonymous said...

Hi Eileen, I do not think I have seen any of these Rails - I think the only kinds I have seen are the Moorhens and the Coots. Nice pictures. Have a great rest of the week!

Christian Perrin said...

Nice sighting! All the rails I see are usually in the thick of the grass. Maybe your car become a sort of 'mobile bird hide'?

Stewart M said...

I understand that they have such a strange name because of the sound they make! ;)

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Anonymous said...

Happy Wild Bird Wednesday! Stunning photography and a bird I have not seen before. Lovely work :0)

Mary Howell Cromer said...

What a great find Eileen. wonderful opportunity! So slow getting back to my blog this week...happy weekend~

NatureFootstep said...

love the images and your video of the clapper rail. :) Nice to see as they are rare in Sweden. :)

Wally Jones said...

Very nice, Eileen! These guys are usually pretty hard to spot and are heard much more often than seen.

Great video!

Maria said...

What a curious bird, didn't know about him!

Gemma Wiseman said...

This bird certainly must be one of the best birds at camouflage - especially if it is dry grass. Lovely photos and a fascinating post.

Dave said...

Great Post Eileen. Not the easiest family to see, however looks like you were treated here with this viewing.

Rohrerbot said...

This is still a bird that I haven't seen out in the wild. I'm hoping on my trip to the East Coast this summer that I'll see one. Here in Arizona, they are tricky to find.

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