Rail

Over 130,000 years ago, White-throated Rails migrated across hundreds of miles from Madagascar to the tiny island of Aldabra. Fossil records show that these wayward birds evolved to be entirely flightless, and went extinct when the island was lost to sea level rise. But some 20,000 years…

El cambio climático, la destrucción del hábitat y las especies invasoras han pasado factura a las poblaciones de aves. Es una realidad difícil de afrontar, pero no es el final de la historia. Hay muchas cosas que la gente puede hacer para proteger a las aves. Algunas acciones pueden ser…

Poet Craig Santos Perez grew up on the island of Guam, and later moved to Hawai‘i where his children were born. Both are places that once flourished with unique and diverse bird life, but because of invasive species and climate change, have seen so much loss and extinction. In this episode…

Rails are secretive marsh birds, and they’re on the decline. But a researcher playing their recorded calls over a loudspeaker could help bring them back – by tricking them.

Conservationists in South Carolina are transforming old systems of oppression into practices that preserve land and create habitat for an extraordinary number of birds. In the final episode of this season Host Ari Daniel tours the marsh at the Nemours Wildlife Foundation with Dr. Drew…

Chicago’s Michigan Avenue – with towering glass skyscrapers and fancy boutiques – is the last place you’d expect to see a bird that normally hides in freshwater marshes. Yet, during migration, secretive Virginia Rails like this one pass over the city at night. That is, until they hit a…

Once abundant around San Francisco Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail — formerly known as the California Clapper Rail — is now endangered. In the 19th Century, unregulated hunting plundered the species. In the 20th Century, rampant development reduced salt marsh habitat by 85%. But in the 21st…

The Virginia Rail is a secretive bird, a relative of coots and cranes. And it's a bird you'll more often hear than spy. The rail takes its name from its narrow body (you know the saying, "as skinny as a rail") an adaptation to its favorite marshy habitats. A Virginia Rail walks hidden…

King Rails are the largest rails in North America. And they are also one of the most threatened. American Bird Conservancy is working to save the King Rail by conserving freshwater wetlands and ensuring effective pollution laws. Learn more at ABCBirds.org.

Black Rails are marsh-inhabiting birds, more often heard than seen. Many Black Rails nest in marshes along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Midwest. But in winter they concentrate in the coastal marshes of East Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, areas that face many threats. Sadly, according…