An elegant dweller of freshwater and brackish marshes, the King Rail is a rich buffy bird with crisp stripes on its sides. This largest of North America’s rails is very secretive as it slips through short marsh vegetation in search of crayfish, crabs, and frogs.

The king rail (Rallus elegans) is a waterbird, the largest North American rail. Distinct features are a long bill with a slight downward curve, with adults being brown on the back and rusty-brown on the face and breast with a dark brown cap. They also have a white throat and a …

A chicken-sized marsh bird, the largest of our rails. Nesting in fresh-water marshes of the east, the King Rail has become an uncommon species as many wetlands have been drained. It remains locally...

An elegant dweller of freshwater and brackish marshes, the King Rail is a rich buffy bird with crisp stripes on its sides. This largest of North America’s rails is very secretive as it slips through short marsh vegetation in search of crayfish, crabs, and frogs.

Large, bright rail of freshwater marshes. Generally uncommon to rare across range. Note rich orange neck and face, contrasty black-and-white barring on sides, and rich brownish upperparts with distinct dark streaks.

The King Rail was first described in 1834 by the preeminent ornithologist and artist John James Audubon. This largest North American rail species is about the size of a chicken and is sometimes locally called the "Marsh Hen."

The King Rail is a bird of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes region. They are associated with permanent marsh habitats along upland-wetland edges largely dominated by tussock-forming sedges. In Michigan, we have few confirmed breeding records for this species in the last decade.

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Basic facts about King rail: lifespan, distribution and habitat map, lifestyle and social behavior, mating habits, diet and nutrition, population size and status.

The King Rail is very similar as an adult to the Clapper Rail, but is more frequently found in freshwater marshes. Adults are easily separated from East Coast Clapper Rails by their rich reddish brown head, neck plumage. The reddish upperwings separate …