Ridgway's Rail
Rallus obsoletus Ridgway, 1874
32–41 cmLength342 gWeight
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus) is a species of bird found principally along the Pacific coast of North America from the San Francisco Bay Area to southern Baja California, as well as in some regions of the Gulf of California.
Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Mexico
Ridgway's Rail has been recorded at 40 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline – Arrowhead MarshUnited States5,470 records
- San Elijo Lagoon – westUnited States3,150 records
- Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States2,103 records
More places
- Palo Alto BaylandsUnited States2,035 records
- South Richmond Marshes (Stege, Hoffman) and Meeker SloughUnited States1,654 records
- Bolsa Chica – walkbridge/inner bayUnited States1,504 records
- Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary DistrictUnited States1,166 records
- San Diego River mudflatsUnited States863 records
- San Diego River – estuaryUnited States815 records
- Bahía de San QuintínMexico396 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus) is a species of bird found principally along the Pacific coast of North America from the San Francisco Bay Area to southern Baja California, as well as in some regions of the Gulf of California. A member of the rail family, Rallidae, it is a large cinnamon-brown rail that lives in brackish tidal marshes and rarely flies. Its name commemorates American ornithologist Robert Ridgway.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Ridgway's Rail?
The Ridgway's Rail is about 32–41 cm long and weighs around 342 g.
Where does the Ridgway's Rail live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to Baja California. It is most often recorded in United States and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Ridgway's Rail?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Ridgway's Rail endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Ridgway's Rail as Near Threatened.
What does the Ridgway's Rail eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Ridgway's Rail in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 32–41 cm
- Weight
- 342 g
- Habitat
- Coast & tidal flats
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 148 mm
- Tail
- 56 mm
- Bill
- 62 mm
- Tarsus
- 50 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to Baja California
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallus
Other birds in the genus Rallus
Clapper RailRallus crepitans
Aztec RailRallus tenuirostris
Mangrove RailRallus longirostris
King RailRallus elegans
Plain-flanked RailRallus wetmorei
Virginia RailRallus limicola
Bogota RailRallus semiplumbeus
Ecuadorian RailRallus aequatorialis
Austral RailRallus antarcticus
Water RailRallus aquaticus
Brown-cheeked RailRallus indicus
African RailRallus caerulescens
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nigel Voaden. ↗
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