Rallus aquaticus
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Mass
~110 g
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Fish and aquatic animals
How to recognize it
The Water Rail keeps to cover, so you usually notice it by sound before sight. What stays in mind is the long red bill and the way it slips through thick waterside growth.
It is most active at dusk and at night, runs quickly over soft ground, can swim and dive if needed, and only flies a short distance when alarmed. Its call is sharp and very unlike the usual wetland chatter, which often gives it away first.
It lives around still or slow-moving water, in reed beds, rushes, and other dense marshy edges. It feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, with more plant food in autumn and winter; northern and eastern populations migrate, while those in milder parts of the range stay year-round.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Water Rail keeps to cover, so you usually notice it by sound before sight. What stays in mind is the long red bill and the way it slips through thick waterside growth.
It is most active at dusk and at night, runs quickly over soft ground, can swim and dive if needed, and only flies a short distance when alarmed. Its call is sharp and very unlike the usual wetland chatter, which often gives it away first.
It lives around still or slow-moving water, in reed beds, rushes, and other dense marshy edges. It feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, with more plant food in autumn and winter; northern and eastern populations migrate, while those in milder parts of the range stay year-round.
