Ecuadorian Rail
Rallus aequatorialis
The Ecuadorian Rail (Rallus aequatorialis) is a rare rails, gallinules, and coot found in 2 countries. The Ecuadorian rail is a species of bird according to the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), AOS, and Clements checklist, but other taxonomic systems treat it as a subspecies of the Virginia rail.
About the Ecuadorian Rail
The Ecuadorian rail is a species of bird according to the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), AOS, and Clements checklist, but other taxonomic systems treat it as a subspecies of the Virginia rail. It is in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Ecuadorian rail is 20 to 21 cm (7.9 to 8.3 in) long and weighs about 85 g (3.0 oz). The sexes are alike. Adults have a long, slightly decurved, bill that is reddish brown with a bright orange base. Their legs are dull orange. They have brown upperparts with blackish streaking and much rufous on the wing coverts. Their face and the sides of the neck are bluish gray and their throat white. Their underparts are dull cinnamon-buff with black and white barring on the flanks. Voice: As of late 2022, xeno-canto had no recordings of Ecuadorian rail vocalizations and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library had 10. Its calls are described as "a descending series of squeals and grunts" with a higher pitch than those of the Virginia rail.
What the Ecuadorian Rail sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Ecuadorian Rail?
- The Ecuadorian rail is 20 to 21 cm (7.9 to 8.3 in) long and weighs about 85 g (3.0 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see an Ecuadorian Rail?
- The Ecuadorian Rail occurs in 2 countries, including Ecuador and Colombia.
- What does an Ecuadorian Rail sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Ecuadorian Rail on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Ecuadorian Rail?
- The Ecuadorian Rail is most easily confused with the Aztec Rail, the Austral Rail and the Madagascar Rail.
Learn the Ecuadorian Rail for real
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