The Ridgway’s Rail

The Ridgway’s Rail (Rallus obsoletus levipes)

The Ridgway’s Rail is an endangered bird species found only along the Pacific coast of North America from the San Francisco Bay Area to southern Baja and parts of the Gulf of California – and it inhabits the Punta Banda estuary.

This secretive bird, about the size of a chicken, lives in brackish tidal marshes and typically stays hidden in dense vegetation. You’re typically more likely to hear this bird rather than see it. Ridgway’s Rails are quite vocal, especially at dawn and dusk. They have a variety of calls, including the males’ repeated “kek” notes, pairs’ grunt-like “clapper” duets, and females’ “kek-burr” calls.

Ridgway rails are uniquely adapted to brackish water conditions. They have special salt glands that allow them to drink seawater.

Ridgway rail nests are often built in clumps of vegetation or shrubs, just above ground level to about 4 feet high. The nests are bulky platforms made of marsh vegetation and are well-camouflaged to protect against predators and flooding.

After hatching, the chicks leave the nest within a day but are brooded by their parents for about a week. During high water or when crossing open water, the chicks are carried on the adults’ backs.

Ridgway’s Rails are opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of prey including crustaceans, insects, snails, fish, bird eggs, and even vegetation and seeds during winter.

This species is threatened by wetland loss and degradation throughout it’s range, in addition to threats from invasive species (see article here). Local biologists such as Hiram Moreno Higaredo, co-chair of the Steering Committee for the Punta Banda Conservation Alliance, spend tirelesss hours studying Ridgway’s rail populations at the local estuary to help gain a better understanding about threats to the species and best conservation methods.