Beak of the Week – Clapper Rail

Clapper Rails can often be difficult to spot as they forage among dense saltmarsh grasses, and catching a glimpse of these handsome rails is certainly a treat! They are named for their calls: a series of loud, repeated “kek” calls. They are rusty brown overall with gray faces and black-and-white striped sides; note their large size and long, orange bills to distinguish them from Soras, which may be found in saltmarshes on the Upper Texas Coast during winter and migration. They are very similar in appearance to the closely related King Rail, which are found in freshwater and brackish marshes, not saltmarshes.

Clapper Rails can be found in coastal saltmarshes and mangrove swamps along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, as well as the Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula. Populations that breed in southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic migrate to the southern Atlantic Coast for the winter, but other populations are nonmigratory. They are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of fish, crustaceans, and vegetation.

Currently, their populations appear to be stable, though habitat degradation and contamination of coastal wetlands by pesticides and other toxic materials are both threats to Clapper Rail populations. They can be found at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, where you can listen for their calls and may spot one running among the grasses!