Yellow Rail
David Arbour/USDA Forest Service
The small, elusive, Yellow Rail is extremely secretive and difficult to find. Yellow Rails occur throughout Florida during migration and winter in a variety of habitats, ranging from dry prairie and agricultural fields to freshwater marsh. It is unknown how many Yellow Rails actually winter in Florida, due to their secretive nature and the lack of recorded sightings. This species feeds on snails, insects and seeds. Threats include habitat loss and degradation, particularly of coastal marshes. Like other rails, when threatened, it prefers to run rather than fly.
For more information, including a range map and sound recording, visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds website.
Recommended GFBWT sites:
- Garcon Point Water Management Area: Garcon Point Trail
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
- Everglades National Park: Main Entrance
-
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Bird's habitat
Yellow Rails winter in Florida’s freshwater and brackish marshes, as well as in tall grasses in fields and prairies.
