Alternative name: Cuvier's Rail
- Dryolimnas cuvieri
Includes Aldabra Rail
Identification
30–33 cm (11¾-13 in)
- Bright chestnut head, neck and breast
- White throat
- Bill: dark, with dark red base in males; females have a pink base
Variations
D. c. aldabranus has short wings, as it is flightless.
Distribution
Madagascar and Aldabra.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:[1]
- D. c. cuvieri - Madagascar, formerly Republic of Mauritius
- D. c. abbotti - Extinct; Formerly Assumption Island
- D. c. aldabranus - "Aldabra Rail"; Aldabra Island
Habitat
Lowlands and mangrove forests.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of invertebrates, such as small molluscs and ghost crabs. They also eat flies, termites and beetles.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Dec 2017)
- ArKive
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-throated Rail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-throated_Rail
