African Rail vs Bogota Rail

African Rail

Rallus caerulescens

Medium162 gWetland

Adults are 27–28 cm (10.6–11.0 in) long, and have mainly brown upperparts and blue-grey underparts, with black-and-white barring on the flanks and undertail. The sexes have similar plumage but the female is smaller. This is the only Rallus species with a plain back. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim dull red bill. The legs are red. Immature birds are similar to the adults, but the blue-grey is replaced by buff. They are noisy birds, with a trilled whistled treee-tee-tee-tee-tee call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Bogota Rail

Rallus semiplumbeus

Medium161 gWetland

The Bogotá rail is a typical member of the genus Rallus, with a long and slightly decurved bill, a plump body, and a short tail. It is 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 12 in) long. Its bill is dull red, shading to dusky black on the culmen and tip. Its eyes are red with a black pupil, and its legs are dull coral red. The sexes are alike. Adults have a sepia brown crown and nape and plumbeous gray face, breast, and belly. Their back, tertials, secondaries, and the upper side of the tail are dull brown, with black streaks on the back. Voice: The Bogotá rail calls only in daytime. Its vocalizations include "squeaks, grunts, and whistling and piping notes" that increase in volume and fairly abruptly end. When disturbed it also makes a "brief, rapid 'titititirr'."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · Song · La Florida Parque, Colombia · CC BY 4.0

Photo: scaup · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: African Rail and Bogota Rail.