Clapper Rails: Species and Ranges

Rails

Overview ... Alternate (Global) Names

Distribution / Habitat ... Subspecies, Ranges and ID (please refer to below)

Description ... Calls / Vocalizations

Breeding / Nesting ... Diet / Feeding

The western subspecies are endangered mostly due to destruction of their coastal habitat.

The eastern forms are still quite common and their populations appear to be stable; however, their numbers appear to be in decline as well largely due to habitat destruction.

• Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris longirostris - Boddaert, 1783) - Nominate Race
  • Range: South America: Along the coasts of Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana.


• California or San Francisco Bay Clapper Rail, Western Rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus - Ridgway, 1874)
  • Sometimes lumped together with the King Rail (Rallus elegans)Range: USA: Central California, with highest concentrations in the San Francisco Bay, where 1,000 to 1,500 birds are found and a small group occurs along the Colorado River.


• Rallus longirostris levipes - Bangs, 1899
  • Sometimes lumped together with the King Rail (Rallus elegans)Range: USA / Mexico: Coastal central California south to northern Baja California.


• San Blas, Sonora or Yuma Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis - Dickey, 1923)
  • Sometimes lumped together with the King Rail (Rallus elegans)Range:USA / Mexico: Southeastern California, southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico.


• Belding's or South Baja Clapper Rail, Belding's Rail (Rallus longirostris beldingi - Ridgway, 1882)
  • Range: Southern Baja California.
    • [Magdalena Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris magdalenae - van Rossem, 1947] - subspecies usually considered invalid
      • Sometimes lumped together with the King Rail (Rallus elegans)
      • Range: USA / Mexico: Tidal lagoons of the Pacific coast of Baja California - from Magdalena Bay north to Seammon Lagoon. Probably to San Quintin Bay (Ref. Proceedings of Biological Society of Washington, May 10, 1947)


• Northern Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris crepitans - Gmelin, 1789)
  • Range: USA: Coastal Connecticut to northeastern North Carolina.


• Wayne's Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris waynei - Brewster, 1899)
  • Range: USA: Coastal southeastern North Carolina to eastern Florida.


• Louisiana Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris saturatus - Ridgway, 1880)
  • Range: USA / Mexico: Gulf coast from southwestern Alabama to extreme northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas).


• Yucatan Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris pallidus - Nelson, 1905)
  • Range: Mexico: Southeastern Mexico along coastal Yucatán


• Rallus longirostris grossi - Paynter, 1950
  • Range: Mexico: Southeastern Mexico: Quintana Roo


• Honduras Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris belizensis - Oberholser, 1937)
  • Range: Belize: Punta Ycacos Lagoon


• Florida of Gulf Coast Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris scotti - Sennett, 1888) -
  • Range: USA: Coastal Florida


• Brooks's or Mangrove Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris insularum - W. S. Brooks, 1920)
  • Range: USA: Florida Keys


• Bahama Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris coryi - Maynard, 1887)
  • Range: Bahamas north of Cuba


• Isle of Pines Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris leucophaeus - Todd, 1913)
  • Cuba: Isla de la Juventud ("Isle of Youth") formerly known as the Isle of Pines


• Antiguan, Antillean, Caribbean, Cuban, Hispaniolan or Puerto Rican Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris caribaeus - Ridgway, 1880)
  • Range: Cuba to Puerto Rico and Lesser Antilles east to Antigua, also Guadeloupe.
    • [Rallus longirostris manglecola - Danforth, 1934] - subspecies usually considered invalid [Rallus longirostris limnetis - Oberholser, 1937] - subspecies usually considered invalid


• Rallus longirostris cypereti - Taczanowski, 1877
  • Range: South America - along the coasts from extreme southwestern Colombia (Nariño) through Ecuador to extreme northwestern Peru (Tumbes).


• Rallus longirostris phelpsi - Wetmore, 1941
  • Range: South America - extreme northeastern Colombia and extreme northwestern Venezuela.
    • [Rallus longirostris dillonripleyi - Phelps and Aveledo, 1987] - subspecies usually considered invalid


• Rallus longirostris margaritae - Zimmer and Phelps, 1944
  • Caribbean Sea: Margarita Island (Isla de Margarita)


• Rallus longirostris pelodramus - Oberholser, 1937
  • Range: Trinidad - the southernmost island in the CaribbeanID: Plumage is more heavily marked with black above.


• Rallus longirostris crassirostris - Lawrence, 1871
  • Range: South America - coastal Brazil from Amazon estuary to Santa Catarina.

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