Listen to the Virginia rail
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Virginia rail
The Virginia rail is a bird in the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 89 g.
What does the Virginia rail sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
From Wikipedia
The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.
These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a game species in some provinces and states, though rarely hunted. The Ecuadorian rail is often considered a subspecies, but some taxonomic authorities consider it distinct.
Related birds in the genus Rallus
More from the family Rallidae
Eurasian coot
Fulica atra
Common moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Corn crake
Crex crex
Spotted crake
Porzana porzana
Baillon's crake
Zapornia pusilla
Western swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
White-breasted waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus
Takahē
Porphyrio hochstetteri
American coot
Fulica americana
Weka
Gallirallus australis
Ruddy-breasted crake
Zapornia fusca
Frequently asked questions
What does a Virginia rail sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Virginia rail on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Virginia rail endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Virginia rail as “least concern”.
What family does the Virginia rail belong to?
The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) belongs to the family Rallidae in the order Gruiformes.
Sources & credits
- Rallus limicola - Virginia Rail by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q747837 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Virginia rail – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA – CC BY 2.0