Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola Vieillot, 1819
20–27 cmLength84 gWeight
The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.
Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Virginia Rail has been recorded at 640 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States5,639 records
- Great Meadows NWR – Concord UnitUnited States5,344 records
- Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States5,177 records
More places
- Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada5,100 records
- Arcata Marsh and Wildlife SanctuaryUnited States4,048 records
- Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States3,676 records
- Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States3,617 records
- Juanita Bay ParkUnited States3,468 records
- Piute PondsUnited States3,431 records
- Fernhill WetlandsUnited States2,804 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
The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Virginia Rail?
The Virginia Rail is about 20–27 cm long and weighs around 84 g.
Where does the Virginia Rail live?
Its breeding range: North America: widespread. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Virginia Rail?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Virginia Rail endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Virginia Rail as Least Concern.
What does the Virginia Rail eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Virginia Rail in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 20–27 cm
- Weight
- 84 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 101 mm
- Tail
- 39 mm
- Bill
- 38 mm
- Tarsus
- 32 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallus
Other birds in the genus Rallus
Ridgway's RailRallus obsoletus
Clapper RailRallus crepitans
Aztec RailRallus tenuirostris
Mangrove RailRallus longirostris
King RailRallus elegans
Plain-flanked RailRallus wetmorei
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 cfmspencer. ↗
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