Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Rails, Gallinules and Coots :: Black Rail

Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis

Described by: Gmelin (1789)
Alternate common name(s): American Black Crake
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA - May 30, 1994 © Kanae Hirabayashi  Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA - May 30, 1994 © Kanae Hirabayashi 
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Range

North America, West Indies, Central America and w. South America;
Fragmented distribution;
(1) C. and e. United States (Atlantic coast from Connecticut s. to s. Florida and Gulf coasts of w. Florida to s. Alabama, and e. Texas, and inland sporadically in Colorado, c. Kansas, and Oklahoma to Minnesota, and Michigan e. to Connecticut) s. in e. Central America from e. Mexico (locally in se. San Luis Potosi and n. Veracruz), Belize, Costa Rica (Bebedero basin at Toboga, Osa Peninsula at Rancho Quemado, and Rio Frio District at Medio Queso). May breed in Cuba. Formerly bred in Puerto Rico.
Winter in in s. United States along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey (rarely) s. through Florida w. to se. Texas, the West Indies in the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico), Mexico (Veracruz), Belize, Guatemala (one record), Honduras (one record), Costa Rica, and Panama (one record). One recent record from n. Brazil (Belem).
(2) Sw. United States (c. California in five coastal locations in the San Francisco Bay area s. from Bodega Bay s. to Morro Bay, inland in Yuba county also inland in Salton Trough and lower Colorado River in ex. se. California, and sw. Arizona) and nw. Baja.
(3) Coastal w. Peru in the Lima area.
(4) C. Chile and ex. w. Argentina.
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North America n. of Mexican border;
Summer: C. and se. CAL, w. ARZ, and ex. se. NEV, se. COL, sc. KAN and coastal e. TEX, s. ALA, FLA, se. GEO, e. SCA, e. NCA, ex. ne. VIR, e. MYD and rarely s. NJY, and se. NYK (Long Island);
Winter: C. and se. CAL, sw. ARZ, e. TEX, sw. LOU, FLA, se. GEO, se. SCA to ce. NCA;

Videos

No videos are available for this species

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Florida Museum of Natural History
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Naturesongs.com

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

Comments/Errors

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