Photo: Adam Jackson / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Clapper Rail

Rallus crepitans

Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) — Cranes & Rails of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Mexico Birds of the United States Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Quebec Birds of Alabama Birds of Connecticut Birds of District of Columbia

By family

Rails, Crakes & Coots of Canada Rails, Crakes & Coots of Mexico Rails, Crakes & Coots of the United States Rails, Crakes & Coots of Nova Scotia Rails, Crakes & Coots of Connecticut

See what's near you right now

The Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 306 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
Genus Rallus
Species crepitans

Where it lives

Eastern coast of USA to Caribbean and coastal Belize

Quick facts

Weight: 306 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Near Threatened

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Clapper Rail hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Clapper Rail is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) belongs to the Rallidae family of the order Gruiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA e coast of USA to Caribbean and coastal Belize.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 306 g, with a wing length of about 14.8 cm and a tail of around 6.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 227,000 km².

Songs & calls

Clapper Rail — Call

Recorded by Sue Riffe Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Clapper Rail?

The Clapper Rail is a large bird that weighs around 306 g.

Where does the Clapper Rail live?

The Clapper Rail is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA e coast of USA to Caribbean and coastal Belize, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Clapper Rail belong to?

The Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Clapper Rail eat?

The Clapper Rail hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Clapper Rail migrate?

The Clapper Rail is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Clapper Rail endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Clapper Rail make?

1 real field recording of the Clapper Rail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Clapper Rail's range?

The Clapper Rail has a mapped global range of about 227,000 km².