Rufous-necked Wood Rail

Aramides axillaris

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWoodlandPlatform nestMedium · 292 g

What the Rufous-necked Wood Rail sounds like

Sonogram of the Rufous-necked Wood Rail: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Loja: 'Reserva Jorupe' ca. 4 km E Macará, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

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".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Rufous-necked Wood Rail

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Rufous-necked Wood Rail

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 13 countries with regular records, and 2 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.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Panama.

About the Rufous-necked Wood Rail

The rufous-necked wood rail is a species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae. It is found in Mexico, Central America, seven mainland South American countries, and Trinidad.

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

Easily confused with

Side by side: Giant Wood Rail vs Rufous-necked Wood Rail · Rufous-necked Wood Rail vs Slaty-breasted Wood Rail · Rufous-necked Wood Rail vs Russet-naped Wood Rail

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