Photo Study Of Clapper Rails And Some Other Birds At E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine), June 15th, 2011

    Dr. Bernie Master graciously came all the way from Ohio just to help Ed Norman and me find birds at Brig yesterday.  We had bright sunshine, lots of birds, low tide and a bunch of
    Clapper Rails who just seemed to love posing for us!

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rail

   The Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris) is a chicken-sized (12 inches long; 20 inch wingspan) member of the rail family, Rallidae. In breeding plumage, the base and sides of its long
   downward curving bill are pinkish to bright orange in males but duller in females. The bird has a noticeable white patch under the tail. The Clapper Rail rarely flies. The bird searches
   for food while walking, sometimes probing with its long bill in shallow water and mud or by surface gleaning. It is a generalist in its feeding habits as well as opportunistic. Its diet
   includes small crabs, other crustaceans, slugs, insects, small mammals and birds, small fish, and eggs. A solitary ground nester, this species builds its basket shaped nest in salt, brackish,
   and freshwater marshes and mangrove swamps. A typical clutch would include 7-11 purple- spotted, olive-buff eggs in a nest of aquatic vegetation or tidal wrack, hidden on a firm
   bank or under a small bush. Young are precocial. (Cornell BNA; Wikipedia; Sibley Guide To Birds)

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Black Skimmer

Resting Glossy Ibis

Ruddy Duck Drake In Breeding Plumage

Juvenile Tree Swallow

Juvenile Barn Swallows

Diamondback Terrapins Basking In The Sun

Skunk Hunting Near Northbound Dike

Muskrat Likes Cattail

    Species seen:

    To see a larger image of any of the photos below, please click on either the thumbnails or the captions...thanks!

     © Howard B. Eskin 2011      Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com    Please click here to go back to Bird Webpage Index