Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

WetlandCup nestMedium · 217 g

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 1 — Photo: Rosario Douglas · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 2 — Photo: Rosario Douglas · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 3 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 4 — Photo: Alex Fernando · CC0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 5 — Photo: Fabrício Mil Homens Riella · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 6 — Photo: Fabrício Mil Homens Riella · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 7 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0

Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), photo 8 — Photo: agujaceratops · CC BY 4.0

What the Blackish Rail sounds like

Sonogram of the Blackish Rail: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Ben Tavener · Call · Parque Barigui, Curitiba - Paraná State, Brazil · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The blackish rail is 27 to 29 cm (11 to 11 in) long; one male weighed 217 g (7.7 oz). The sexes are alike. They have a long yellow-green bill and pinkish legs. The nominate subspecies has unmarked dark brown upperparts, a white chin and throat, and dark gray face and underparts. P. n. caucae is larger than the nominate and has a larger and whiter throat patch and paler underparts especially at the vent. Voice: The blackish rail has a large vocal repertoire. What is thought to be a male song is a "very sharp, loud, penetrating, repeated 'whuueeee' or 'wheee'." Other vocalizations have been described as a "very fast, metallic 'tii'd'dit'", a "complaining 'keeeeaaa'", a "rapid, repeated 'chchchee'" and a "sharp double squeak".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Blackish Rail

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Blackish Rail

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 6 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Brazil Colombia Argentina Ecuador Peru Paraguay

Recorded as a rare visitor in Venezuela.

About the Blackish Rail

The blackish rail is a species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, and possibly Bolivia.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Spotted RailPardirallus maculatusThe spotted rail is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) long and weighs 130 to 220 g (4.6 to 7.8 oz); females are slightly smaller than males.

Plumbeous RailPardirallus sanguinolentusThe blackish rail is 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) long and weighs 170 to 230 g (6.0 to 8.1 oz).

Side by side: Blackish Rail vs Plumbeous Rail · Blackish Rail vs Spotted Rail

Learn the Blackish Rail in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.