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Coots, Gallinules, and Rails 365

Figure 22.3 Black Rail chick in heated brooder with mirror, vegetation for privacy, and shallow dishes of
various invertebrate foods. Source: photo courtesy of International Bird Rescue.
Rails

In contrast to other rallids, rails are shy, secretive birds, with cryptic, irregular coloration that ena-
bles them to hide among reeds at the water’s edge by day. There are 127 species of rails distributed
throughout the world except for at high latitudes. They vary in length from about 4–18 in. (11 to
45 cm) and have laterally compressed bodies that allow them to move furtively in dense vegetation.
While many rails are very rarely seen, their loud calls can reveal their presence in dense, marshy
areas, often at night.
The young of all rail species have black down and are about the same size as the adult Black Rail,
which is the smallest rail, and which has the smallest chicks, a mere 2–3 g at hatch (Figure 22.3).
These semi‐precocial chicks are capable of leaving the nest as early as 6 hours after hatching but
typically stay on the nest for up to 2 days. The parents feed chicks from their bill until the chicks
are about 2–3 weeks of age. Most rails leave their family unit after 4 weeks (Conway 1995).

Criteria for Intervention

Human disturbance of nesting sites is one of the main causes for intervention for baby coots, gal-
linules, and rails. Disruption of their habitat creates a situation in which both the adults and their
young can be stressed and scared, leading to separation of the adult from its young. Many of these
birds, especially the smaller rail species, come into care because of being caught by a predator such
as a cat, and predation of parents may also result in an orphaned chick that needs help. Fledged
chicks and adults that enter the rehabilitation setting often present with head trauma caused by
being flushed out of their environment, chased by a predator, or striking a car or window.

Record Keeping

Detailed records are vital to bird care and continual improvement of rearing techniques. Until the
bird is eating well and gaining weight on its own, its weight should be checked daily, and detailed
care notes should be recorded. Each time the chick is handled for a weight check, notes should be