Photo: Clapper Rail, Shayna Marchese/Audubon Photography Awards
A Rare Sighting: Clapper Rail Spotted in Northern Virginia
By Jessica Bigger
In December, local birders spotted a Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) sleuthing in the marsh at Huntley Meadows Park. They recorded the sighting on eBird. Rarely does this bird end up in Virginia, especially inland. But sometimes birds get blown in by tropical storms, or just get lost and end up in the wrong place. This past summer several Clapper Rails were blown in by tropical storms. In Mississippi, over 1000 Clapper Rails ended up on the sandy beaches after Tropical Storm Cristobal blew over. In Roanoke, Virginia, a Clapper Rail was found injured by a car. How did this bird end up in Roanoke? Wildlife rescuers believe Hurricane Laura was the culprit.
Clapper Rail, Shayna Marchese/Audubon Photography Awards
According to All About Birds, Clapper Rails breed on the coasts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The birds tend to spend their winters down in Central America and the Caribbean. However, they seem to be showing up more often on the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama and even North Carolina during the summer.
These elusive birds are rarely seen, but often heard. A Clapper Rail’s distinct and raucous chock, chock, chock call, which can last for 20 to 25 notes, can help a birder zero in on its location. However, you might be able to spot one at dawn or dusk if you have a keen eye, a good ear and plenty of patience. These birds tend to hide in tall grasses in salt marshes or in vegetation in mangrove swamps. They rarely fly, and keep their tail and head up as they walk in an irregular pattern. If threatened, they may run, continuing to hold up their head and tail.
Clapper Rails eat almost anything, but they prefer crabs and crayfish. They also have salt glands that enable them to ingest salt water.
During their breeding season, mom and dad raise their chicks together. If there is a predator nearby, one of them will pretend to have a broken wing to distract and lure the predator away from the nest.
Currently, the Clapper Rail is listed as a bird of moderate concern, according to the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan. However, it is very difficult to know how many Clapper Rails there are, because they are so elusive. Populations are at risk of pollution and habitat loss due to development and storms which can destroy marshlands.
Wildlife ecologists are currently studying how marsh birds adapt to tropical storms and hurricanes along the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi. They are using the Clapper Rail as one of the species in their study. To figure out the population size in the area, scientists will play pre-recorded calls and then zero in on the birds that call back.
Clapper Rails are considered to be an indicator species for scientists to assess the health of the surrounding coastal environment. During a tropical storm, birds move up to higher areas of the marsh to ride out the storm. Within a year or two after a storm, ecologists have found that the Clapper Rail population tends to recover, which shows how resilient these birds are.
Sources:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clapper_Rail/id#
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/Profiles/clapperrail091411.pdf
https://www.wlox.com/2020/06/09/marsh-birds-blown-by-cristobal-out-place-beach/
https://wset.com/news/local/roanoke-wildlife-center-rescues-bird-likely-blown-in-by-hurricane-laura