The Coots (Subfamily Fulicinæ) are still more aquatic than the Gallinules, as might be supposed from their lobed toes, in fact are as much at home in the water as though they were Ducks. Both Gallinules and Coots lay eight to sixteen buffy, thickly speckled eggs in a nest of reeds often built on a pile of rushes in the reeds.
Cranes and Limpkin
| 204. Whooping Crane (Grus americana). L. 50. Ads. White; skin of top of head dull red; primaries black. Yng. Head feathered, plumage more or less washed with rusty. Range.—Interior of North America: breeds from northern Mississippi Valley north to Arctic regions; winters from Gulf States southward. 205. Little Brown Crane (Grus canadensis). L. 35. W. 18; B. 4. Ads. Skin of top of head dull red; plumage brownish gray. Yng. Head feathered, plumage with more or less rusty. Range.—"Northern North America from Hudson Bay to Alaska, migrating south through western United States east of Rocky Mountains to Mexico." (Ridgway.) 206. Sandhill Crane (Grus mexicana). Similar to [No. 205], but larger. L. 44: W. 20; B. 5. Notes. A loud, sonorous, grating, krrrow, repeated five or more times. Range.—North America; breeds locally from Texas, Cuba, Florida north through Mississippi Valley to Manitoba, British Columbia, and Oregon; winters from northern California and Gulf States southward. 207. Limpkin (Aramus giganteus). L. 28. Ads. Glossy olive-brown, striped with white; wings and tail more bronzy. Notes. A loud wah-ree-ow, repeated and the last note prolonged into a wail. Range.—Central America and West Indies north to southern Texas and Florida. |
Rails
| 208. King Rail (Rallus elegans). L. 15. Ads. Above olive-brown, black, and olive-gray; wing-coverts reddish brown; neck and breast cinnamon; belly and sides blackish, sharply and broadly barred with white. Notes. A loud bup, bup, bup, repeated and ending in a roll. Range.—Eastern United States; breeds from Florida north to Connecticut and South Dakota; strays to Maine; winters from Virginia and Lower Mississippi Valley south to Gulf States. 209. Belding Rail (Rallus beldingi). Similar to [No. 208], but paler; flank-bars narrower. Range.—Lower California. 210. California Clapper Rail (Rallus obsoletus). L. 17. Above grayish olive-brown streaked with blackish brown; breast cinnamon; flanks dusky brown narrowly banded with white. Margins to back feathers much broader than in forms of crepitans. Range.—Salt Marshes of Pacific coast north to Washington. 212. Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus). L. 9.5; B. 1.5. Ads. Above blackish and grayish brown; wing-coverts reddish brown; below cinnamon, flanks black and white. Resembling a King Rail in color, but much smaller. Notes. Calls, kep or kik; song, a grunting sound and cut, cûtta-cûtta-cûtta. (Brewster.) Range.—North America; breeds from Pennsylvania, Long Island, northern Illinois, and middle California north to Labrador, Manitoba, and British Columbia; winters from about its southern breeding limits south to Cuba and Guatemala. 215. Yellow Rail. (Porzana noveboracensis). L. 7; B. .5. Ads. Above black and buffy barred with white; breast buffy; sides brownish barred with white. Notes. An abrupt cackling, 'krék, 'krek, 'krek, 'krek, kûk, 'k'k'k. (Nuttall.) Range.—Eastern North America north to New Brunswick, Quebec, and Hudson Bay, west to Manitoba and rarely California; probably breeds chiefly north; winters in southern States. |
| 211. Clapper Rail, Marsh Hen (Rallus crepitans). L. 14.5; W. 5; B. 2.5. Ads. Above pale olive bordered by gray; wing-coverts pale grayish brown; breast pale cinnamon; flanks barred gray and white. Notes. Gkak, gkak, gkak, at first loud and rapid, ending lower and slower. Range.—Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast; breeds from North Carolina to Connecticut; winters from Long Island (rarely) southward, north casually to Massachusetts; south casually to Louisiana. 211a. Louisiana Clapper Rail (R. c. saturatus). Similar to [No. 211], but above rich brown edged with olive; breast darker cinnamon; bill more slender, 2.3. Range.—Coast of Louisiana. 211b. Scott Clapper Rail (R. c. scotti). Similar to [No. 211], but much darker; sooty brown or black above edged with olive-brown or olive-gray; breast and neck cinnamon, washed with brownish; flanks brown and white. Darkest bird of group. Range.—Gulf coast of Florida. 211c. Wayne Clapper Rail (R. c. waynei). Similar to [No. 211], but darker, back rich olive-brown edged with gray; breast more ashy. Range.—Atlantic coast, North Carolina to eastern Florida. 211.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris caribæus). L. 14; W. 5.7; B. 2.4. Ads. Above olive-brown edged with olive-ashy, breast cinnamon; flanks brown and white. Range.—West Indies; coast of southeastern Texas (and northeastern Mexico?). 214. Carolina Rail (Porzana carolina). L. 8.5; B. 8. Ads. Region about base of bill black. Yng. Similar, but no black about base of bill; breast more cinnamon. Notes. Calls, kuk or peep, song, ker-wee; and a high, rolling whinny. Range.—North America; breeds from Long Island, Illinois, Kansas, and southern California, north to Newfoundland, Hudson Bay region, and British Columbia; winters from South Carolina, southern Illinois, and northern California south to South America. 216. Little Black Rail (Porzana jamaicensis): L. 5; B. 6. Ads. Head, breast, and belly slate; back blackish brown barred with white; nape reddish brown. Notes. Probably, kik-kik-kik, quee'ah, or kik-ki-ki-ki, ki, quee'ah, or variants. (Brewster.) Range.—"Temperate North America north to Massachusetts, northern Illinois, and Oregon: south to West Indies and Guatemala." (A. O. U.) Probably breeds throughout its North American range (Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas). |