Painted

Published

1930

Volume

4

Plate

212

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Virginia Rail

Rallus virginianus

DESCRIPTION

One September nite I was lying in the 6 × 1½ cockpit of my homemade canoe, listening to southwardbound feathered tourists sifting by thru the purple dark. One winnowed past not three feet above and after a short interval, another. At first I thot they were Woodcock but as they continued passing I finally decided, thru elimination, that they were VIRGINIA RAILS — which subsequent acquaintance verified.

They went by with steady strong flight, widely different from feeble efforts awing during daylight. I have seen them as frequently in Spring and Fall as their shyness permitted, along the back meadow of coastal waters. Their habitat is among the fresh water meadows and one or two pairs nest every year in the bogs below our home here on the eastern edge of Dutchess County, New York.

Once I caught a gallant courting with quick tail wigwags, low bows and wing-curving. The lady bowed every time, gradually drew nearer and then — when the supreme moment was imminent — he caught sight of some delicacy and went after it! Desertion most flagrant and that arch delinquent did not deserve forgiveness but he must have been granted it for later in the summer I saw some youngsters foraging in the reeds.

The call notes are varied, more metallic, less raucous than Clapper Rails and very apt to resemble those of tree toads or other meadow denizens. It was years before I separated them.

BREEDING

NEST: well concealed near (rarely over) water; composed of reeds, grass or cattail stalks, sometimes a foot high.

EGGS: 6 — 12; buffy white sparingly spotted with brown shades.

RANGE

Distributed in suitable localities over United States and southern Canada.

virginia-rail
king-rail
King Rail
208
belding-rail
Belding Rail, Lightfoot Rail
209-210.1
california-clapper-rail
California Clapper Rail
210
clapper-rail
Clapper Rail
211
louisiana-clapper-rail
Louisiana Clapper Rail
211a
florida-clapper-rail
Florida Clapper Rail, Wayne Clapper Rail
211b-211c
caribbean-clapper-rail
Caribbean Clapper Rail
211.2
virginia-rail
Virginia Rail
212
sora
Sora
214
yellow-rail
Yellow Rail
215
black-rail
Black Rail
216
purple-gallinule
Purple Gallinule
218
gray-gallinule
Gray Gallinule
219
coot
Coot
221
red-phalarope
Red Phalarope
222
northern-phalarope
Northern Phalarope
223
wilson-phalarope
Wilson Phalarope
224
avocet
Avocet
225
blackneck-stilt
Blackneck Stilt
226
woodcock
Woodcock
228
wilson-snipe
Wilson Snipe
230
brownback-snipe
Brownback Snipe
231
western-brownback-snipe
Western Brownback Snipe
231a
stilt-sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
233
knot
Knot
234
purple-sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
235
aleutian-sandpiper
Aleutian Sandpiper
235a
pribilof-sandpiper
Pribilof Sandpiper
235b
sharptail-sandpiper
Sharptail Sandpiper
238
pectoral-sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
239
whiterump-sandpiper
Whiterump Sandpiper
240
baird-sandpiper
Baird Sandpiper
241
least-sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
242
redback-sandpiper
Redback Sandpiper
243a
curlew-sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
244
spoonbill-sandpiper
Spoonbill Sandpiper
245
semipalmated-sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
246
western-sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
247
sanderling
Sanderling
248
marbled-godwit
Marbled Godwit
249
pacific-godwit
Pacific Godwit
250
hudsonian-godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
251
greater-yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
254
yellowlegs
Yellowlegs
255
solitary-sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
256
western-solitary-sandpiper
Western Solitary Sandpiper
256a
willet
Willet
258
western-willet
Western Willet
258a
wandering-tattler
Wandering Tattler
259
upland-plover
Upland Plover
261
buffbreast-sandpiper
Buffbreast Sandpiper
262
spotted-sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
263
longbill-curlew
Longbill Curlew
264
hudsonian-curlew
Hudsonian Curlew
265
eskimo-curlew
Eskimo Curlew
266
bristlethigh-curlew
Bristlethigh Curlew
268
blackbelly-plover
Blackbelly Plover
270
golden-plover
Golden Plover
272
pacific-golden-plover
Pacific Golden Plover
272a
kildee
Kildee
273
semipalmated-plover
Semipalmated Plover
274
ring-plover
Ring Plover
275
piping-plover
Piping Plover
277
snowy-plover
Snowy Plover
278
wilson-plover
Wilson Plover
280
mountain-plover
Mountain Plover
281
surfbird
Surfbird
282
turnstone
Turnstone
283
ruddy-turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone
283a
black-turnstone
Black Turnstone
284
oystercatcher
Oystercatcher
286
frazar-oystercatcher
Frazar Oystercatcher
286.1
black-oystercatcher
Black Oystercatcher
287
mexican-jacana
Mexican Jacana
288