ML617567234

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Found by my entomologist colleague, Greg Setliff, and his zoology class on a campus walk in the afternoon. He described to me an usual marsh bird with long legs that held its tail up and walked funny that they saw in a retention pond on campus. I approached the retention pond after 5pm and a very large rail stepped out from behind some cattails and walked along the edge of the pond about 15 feet away! The bold black and white flanks, distinctly black streaked back, and buffy/red breast and neck stood out and identifies a King Rail. Clapper Rail, only other option, has much more muted color patterns, lighter breast/neck, and a grayer head. I watched it walk along the edge of the pond for a minute or two before it disappeared into the vegetation and did not come back out. I returned at 6:45 pm with two students to search again. After 30 minutes, the rail appeared across the retention pond and foraged along the edge of the pond for 20 minutes. At one point, it came within 30 feet of us. The color of the breast and neck appeared much more rusty red in the evening light. The bird never vocalized and disappeared into the vegetation around 7:45pm. Several attempts were made to locate the rail in the past two days with no success. Appears to have stopped over for a day and took off with the big migratory flight on the evening of the 16th. Will post again if by chance the bird reappears. Note: most of campus is permit only parking so this isn’t an easy place for birders to access.

Technical information

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