Yellow Rail
Coturnicops noveboracensis
This species is a very rare spring and fall migrant in Nebraska. Most of the records are for eastern coun- ties. There are at least two June re- cords, suggesting possible breeding (Nebraska Bird Review 41:24), but the nearest area of known breeding is southern Minnesota. It also breeds in eastern North Dakota and perhaps in South Dakota, Kansas, and Iowa.
Migration: Eight total spring re-
cords are from April 26 to June 10, with a mean of May 6. The fall records are for late September–early October, include one at Peru Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Nemaha County, and one at Omaha (Nebraska Bird Re-
view 83:163–164). In Kansas it has
been reported from as early as March 5 to as late as October 29 (Thompson et al., 2011).
Habitats: During migration, the
yellow rail is likely to be found in marshes with extensive grassy or sedge vegetation. When it occurs in
B L A C K R A I L R A L L I D A E
the same marshes with Virginia and sora rails, it tends to occupy the dens- est areas of sedges, while the other species are more often found in areas of cattails and bulrushes.
Comments: Yellow rails are among
the most elusive of birds, and even the most avid birders often fail to add this species to their life lists. Most have to settle for hearing responses to play- backs of the species’ calls.
Black Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis
This species is an apparently very rare spring and fall migrant and a possi- ble breeder. Two specimen records exist from Nemaha County for Sep- tember of 1873, one bird was seen in the Omaha Market, and there was an early sight record for Cuming County (Bruner, Wolcott, & Swenk, 1904). Recent records include one possibly seen at Lake 11 near Omaha, Douglas County, September 20, 1979; one re- ported on May 13, 1979, from Phelps County (Nebraska Bird Review 47:67), and one also reported present (based on questionable tape recordings) at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Ref- uge in late May 1991 and 1995 (Ne-
braska Bird Review 49:42, 63:73). As
of 2016 only two Nebraska records (out of about 20 total reports) had been accepted by the NOU Records Committee. Using a call-playback technique, McGregor et al. (2016) elic- ited vocal responses from a black rail at Harvard Waterfowl Production Area on June 15, 2016. Nebraska is slightly north of the black rail’s known Kansas breeding range, but possible Nebraska breedings have been suggested north and west to Crescent Lake National
Wildlife Refuge and Morrill County. Fall calling at Peru Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Nemaha County, suggests possible territorial activity (Nebraska Bird Review 83:164). This species was also reported from Lan- caster County in May 1980 (Nebraska
Bird Review 48:88) and (based on
a calling bird) from Verdigre, Knox County, November 1, 2002 (Nebraska
Bird Review 71:138).
Migration: The few Nebraska re-
cords extend from May 13 to Novem- ber 2. In Kansas it has been reported from as early as April 21 to as late as October 29 (Thompson et al., 2011).
Habitats: In the Great Plains this
species occupies marshy meadows that are heavily overgrown with sedges and grasses. Like the yellow rail, it is much more likely to be heard than seen.
Comments: This species is even
less frequently seen than the yellow rail, although some people have told stories of sitting still beside a dense marsh and seeing a black rail sud- denly appear and nearly walk across their feet. Playback of recordings of black rail calls at the Crescent Lake refuge have suggested that a breeding population may occur there, but this remains to be proven, as does possi- ble breeding in the Rainwater Basin.
Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris
Accidental. A clapper rail was cap- tured in a trap at Stapleton, Logan County, January 20, 1951, and an in- dividual was also observed near Brule, May 9, 1954 (Brown, Dinsmore, & Brown, 2012). The species’ nearest breeding area is in coastal Texas.
S O R A R A L L I D A E
King Rail Rallus elegans
The king rail is a rare summer resi- dent in eastern Nebraska. An old nest- ing record exists for Douglas County. There are very few more recent re- cords, but this rail probably breeds mainly and locally in the eastern Rain- water Basin. It possibly also nests in the Clear Creek marshes at the west end of Lake McConaughy, and in Sher- idan and Morrill counties. Most recent regional sightings are from eastern North Dakota and southern Minne- sota southward to eastern Texas. It has nested rarely in South Dakota and is an uncommon, local breeder in Kan- sas (Thompson et al., 2011).
Migration: Nine total spring re-
cords extend from April 2 to June 9, with a mean of May 6. Five fall re- cords are from July 10 to September 11, with a mean of August 7. Kansas records extend to late December and suggest that occasional overwintering occurs there (Thompson et al., 2011).
Habitats: During the breeding sea-
son this species is associated with freshwater marshes, up to four feet deep, with abundant shoreline and emergent vegetation.
Comments: This large rail has been
seen several times in the Lincoln area, but no recent recent nesting records have been established for Nebraska.
Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
This species is an uncommon spring and fall migrant and summer resi- dent almost statewide. It is less com- mon in the Panhandle but is regular in southern Sioux and Dawes counties. It breeds widely in the Great Plains
except in the drier western areas and also the southeastern portion, and it occurs throughout during migration.
Migration: Thirty-six initial spring
sightings are from February 14 to June 1, with a median of May 8. Half of the records fall within the period April 29–May 16. Thirteen final fall sight- ings are from July 21 to October 13, with a median of September 16.
Habitats: The primary breeding
habitats are marshes with extensive stands of emergent vegetation such as taller grasses, bulrushes, and sedges. Nests are built over wet ground or in shallow water among emergent veg- etation. One nest of this species was discovered during the second atlas- ing period of the Breeding Bird Atlas project, and nesting was confirmed in three survey blocks (Mollhoff, 2016), as compared with confirmed nestings in six blocks during the first survey (Mollhoff, 2001).
Comments: Virginia rails nest reg-
ularly across the state, especially in the Sandhills, but actual nesting re- cords seem limited to Sioux, Sheridan, Garden, Arthur, Lincoln, Cherry, Hall, Holt, and Lancaster counties. Until Lake Ogallala was modified to allow for increased hydropower capabilities for Kingsley Dam in the 1980s, a veri- table chorus of sora and Virginia rails could be heard regularly on summer evenings. Breeding Bird Surveys be- tween 1966 and 2015 indicate that the species collectively underwent a sur- vey-wide population increase (1.01% annually) during that period.
Sora
Porzana carolina
P U R P L E G A L L I N U L E R A L L I D A E
fall migrant and locally common sum- mer resident nearly statewide but is more local in the Panhandle.
Migration: Of 108 initial spring re-
cords, the range is from March 10 to June 3, and the median is May 6. Half of the records fall within the period April 30 to May 12. Twenty-five final fall sightings are from July 27 to No- vember 27, with a median of Septem- ber 30.
Habitats: Habitats are apparently
almost identical to those of the Vir- ginia rail, namely marshlands with extensive stands of dense emergent vegetation, especially grasses and grassland plants. Nesting tends to oc- cur in deeper water than is preferred by the Virginia rail, often in water 9–12 inches deep and well concealed in cattails, bulrushes, or sedges.
Comments: The sora is the com-
monest of the rails in Nebraska, but even so nesting records are rather few and far between (Nebraska Bird Re-
view 80:40–42). During the first at-
lasing period there was only a single confirmed nesting, in Lincoln County (Mollhoff, 2001). One nest of this spe- cies was also discovered during the second atlasing period of the Breed- ing Bird Atlas project, and nesting was confirmed in two Saunders and Howard County survey blocks (Moll- hoff, 2016), as compared with a con- firmed nesting in one Lincoln County block during the first survey (Moll- hoff, 2001). The eggs and nests of sora and Virginia rails are nearly identical. Breeding Bird Surveys between 1966 and 2015 indicate that the species collectively underwent a survey-wide population increase (0.43% annually)
during that period, and a 3.89% an- nual increase in Nebraska.
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica
Accidental. This gallinule was ob- served in Cuming County in the sum- mer of 1884 or 1885, and a second one was observed in Gage County on March 28, 1962 (Nebraska Bird Review 38:50). There are records from spring to early summer for at least ten Kan- sas counties (Thompson et al., 2011), and breeding occurs no closer than southeastern Oklahoma.
Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
This species is an occasional migrant in eastern Nebraska and a rare sum- mer resident. There are a few old and scattered breeding records (Cherry, Lincoln, and Douglas counties), and more recent records in Lancaster, Seward, and Fillmore counties (Moll- hoff, 2001, 2016). As of 2009 there had been about ten breeding records (Nebraska Bird Review 77:144).
Migration: Sixteen initial spring
records are from March 23 to June 1, with a median of May 11. Half of the records fall within the period May 1–29. Three final fall sightings are from July 26 to September 29, with a mean of August 22. Kansas records extend to November 10 (Thompson et al., 2011).
Habitats: The favored summer hab-
itat of the common gallinule consists of freshwater ponds and marshes hav- ing an abundance of emergent vege- tation. Nests are usually placed above water or on land surrounded by water.
C O M M O N G A L L I N U L E R A L L I D A E
A M E R I C A N C O O T R A L L I D A E
No nests of this species were discov- ered during the second atlasing period of the Breeding Bird Atlas project, but nesting was confirmed in one Seward County survey block (Mollhoff, 2016), as compared with confirmed nestings in three blocks during the first survey (Mollhoff, 2001).
Comments: Common gallinules
(called “common moorhens” in Brit- ain) are moderately common birds, but they are nearly as elusive as rails in most locations. Yet in England, where they are fully protected, they are as fearless as coots and can be easily seen in park lagoons, even in the heart of London.
American Coot Fulica americana
This species is a common to abun- dant spring and fall migrant and sum- mer resident. It occurs throughout the state but is most abundant in the Sandhills marshes. Sometimes it over- winters where open water exists.
Migration: Seventy-four initial
spring sightings are from February 4 to June 7, with a median of March 29. Half of the records fall within the period March 19 to April 24. Eighty- two final fall records are from July 25 to December 31, with a median of November 2. Half of the records fall within the period October 14 to No- vember 21.
Habitats: A wide variety of wet-
lands, ranging from small ponds or large lakes and reservoirs are used throughout the year, but those that are fairly shallow and rich in sub- merged aquatic plants are favored. Nesting usually occurs in emergent
vegetation. Thirty-six nests of this species were discovered during the second atlasing period of the Breed- ing Bird Atlas project, and nesting was confirmed in 23 survey blocks (Moll- hoff, 2016), as compared with con- firmed nestings in 32 blocks during the first survey (Mollhoff, 2001).
Comments: Coots have a bad “im-
age” problem—they tend to be “tame,” and they dive with some difficulty (because their toes are not fully webbed) so they are often judged to be stupid. Hunters scoff at them as game birds because they take flight with some difficulty. During the 1950s the US Fish and Wildlife Service tried to popularize their hunting (and in- crease the sale of hunting permits) by increasing the daily kill limit and calling them “white-billed ducks,” but this did nothing to enhance the coots’ popularity. Yet, they are fascinating to watch as they establish and vig- orously defend their territories with fights and threats, and industriously guard and feed their strange-look- ing chicks. Breeding Bird Surveys be- tween 1966 and 2015 indicate that the species collectively underwent a sur- vey-wide population increase (0.62% annually) during that period, and Ne- braska had an estimated 3.47% rate of annual decline.
G R U I D A E S A N D H I L L C R A N E