Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Yellow Rail

Coturnicops noveboracensis

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) — Cranes & Rails of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut Birds of Ontario

By family

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

See what's near you right now

The Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) is a member of the Rallidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 60.9 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 Coturnicops
Species noveboracensis

Where it lives

Eastern, central

North America

Quick facts

Weight: 60.9 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Baillon’s Crake

Zapornia pusilla

Least Concern

Grey-breasted Crake

Laterallus exilis

Least Concern

Spotless Crake

Zapornia tabuensis

Least Concern

Swinhoe’s Rail

Coturnicops exquisitus

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Yellow Rail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

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

Migration

The Yellow Rail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family, part of the order Gruiformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA e, c.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 60.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.6 cm and a tail of around 3.3 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 3.7 million km².

Songs & calls

Yellow Rail — Call

Recorded by Chris Butler Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Yellow Rail?

The Yellow Rail is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 60.9 g.

Where does the Yellow Rail live?

The Yellow Rail is found across North America with a range covering NA e, c, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Yellow Rail belong to?

The Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Yellow Rail eat?

The Yellow Rail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Yellow Rail migrate?

The Yellow Rail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Yellow 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 Yellow Rail make?

1 real field recording of the Yellow 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 Yellow Rail's range?

The Yellow Rail has a mapped global range of about 3.7 million km².