Water Rail

Water rails are small to medium-sized, secretive birds that like to keep well hidden. This family of birds can be identified by the short tail, the small, wide wings and their typically long toes. The small and shy water rail is a widespread resident breeder in Europe. However, its habitats are endangered - wetlands including swamps, marshland, ponds and floodplains characterised by a contrast of dense riverbed vegetation, such as reed, and flat wetlands with small free-forming bodies of water - are increasingly disappearing due to irrigation and damming. Water rails move carefully and quickly, flying under cover with their legs dangling. They are best observed at dawn and dusk. They have a varied vocal repertoire having been described as ranging from “sullen and grumpy” to “persistent hammering with a warble finish”. Water rails are solitary birds. However, they will pair during mating season, which occurs a maximum of twice a year, lay and hatch a clutch of between 6 and 12 eggs. They will also raise these young birds together. The initial black downy natal plumage moults after 2 months, at which point the juvenile birds become independent. Males and females are very similar, although the males are somewhat smaller. Water rails subsist on a diet of worms, larva, small fish, snails, insects, crabs, amphibians, berries, seed and plant shoots.