Rufous-necked Wood Rail
Aramides axillaris
The rufous-necked wood rail is 29 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) long and weighs about 300 to 325 g (11 to 11 oz). The sexes are alike. They have long, stout, yellow-green bills and red legs and feet. Adults' head, neck, and breast are rufous brown. Their nape and upper back are gray and the rest of the back olive brown to greenish olive. Their wings are greenish olive and chestnut. Their rump, tail, flanks, and undertail coverts are black. Their throat is white and their belly grayish brown. Juveniles are much duller overall. Their upperparts are like the adults' but duller. Voice: The rufous-necked wood rail's song has been described as "loud, irregularly paced kip and kow notes, e.g., kip-kow-kip, kow-kip-kow, kip-kowkip-kow, kow, kow, kow-kip". Pairs sing in duet "a strident series of musical notes...CHI burr... CHI burr... CHI burr....". They mostly sing at dusk and dawn but also at night. The species also makes "a cluck and kik in alarm".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Russet-naped Wood Rail
Aramides albiventris
The russet-naped wood rail is 33 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighs about 450 to 600 g (16 to 21 oz). The sexes are alike and the subspecies are practically indistinguishable from each other. Adults have a thick dark yellow bill with a light green tip, a deep red eye, and red to pink legs and feet. Their forehead, crown, and hindneck are slate gray, and the back of the head has a chestnut patch. Their back is grayish olive and the tail black. Their chin and upper throat are white and the sides of the neck, lower throat, and upper breast are gray. Voice: The russet-naped wood rail's song has been described as "a varied, rapid, crazed-sounding, rollicking, popping, and clucking series". Three transcriptions are "coo-coocoo-coo' ki-ki-kik' cococo", "pop-tiyi pop-tiyi co-co-co-co-co", and "kook-kook-kook-kway!-kway!-kway!-kway!".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Rufous-necked Wood Rail and Russet-naped Wood Rail.