Rallus aquaticus -- Linnaeus, 1758 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- -- RALLIDAE Common names: Western Water ; European ; Râle d'eau; Water Rail European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; (to DK); Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom Vagrant: (to DK); Svalbard and Jan Mayen (to NO) Population The European population is estimated at 157,000-346,000 pairs, which equates to 314,000-693,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 76,900-191,000 pairs, which equates to 154,000-381,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe and the EU27 the population size trend is unknown. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology The species requires muddy ground for foraging and shows a preference for shallow still or slow-flowing water, surrounded by dense riparian, emergent, submergent or aquatic vegetation (Taylor and Christie 2014). It breeds in reedbeds and other emergent vegetation in fresh and saline swamps, fens and marshes and at the fringes of open fresh or saline lakes. Other habitats include clay pits, gravel pits, peat excavations (Taylor and van Perlo 1998), river oxbows and channels, damp meadows and paddy-fields (Taylor and Christie 2014). On migration and in the winter the species frequents riverbanks, canals (Urban et al. 1986), gravel pits, farm sewage outfalls, marshy areas (Iceland), bracken on islands, flooded blackberry (Rubus spp.) thickets and other very small patches. In western and central Europe breeding occurs from late March to August (Taylor and Christie 2014). The nest is a substantial cup of vegetation that is usually positioned in thick stands of reeds or rushes on the ground in or near water, or rarely on a tree stump or in the open (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Clutches are usually six to eleven (Taylor and Christie 2014). The species is omnivorous, its diet consisting predominantly of matter (Snow and Perrins 1998) such as , , molluscs, shrimps, crayfish, spiders, terrestrial and aquatic insects and larvae, (Taylor and van Perlo 1998), fish, and mammals. It also takes plant matter including shoots, roots, , berries and fruits (Taylor and Christie 2014). In Europe, western and southern populations of this species are mainly sedentary, whereas northern and north-eastern populations are mostly migratory, wintering in western and south-western Europe (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable non-breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Excavations (open) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Excavations (open) suitable non-breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable non-breeding Grassland - Temperate suitable breeding (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands suitable breeding Altitude max. 1500 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species is vulnerable to severe conditions (e.g. ice or severe floods) (Taylor and van Perlo 1998, Taylor and Christie 2014). In some areas it suffers from habitat destruction through land reclamation and wetland drainage (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Climate change & Storms & flooding Timing Scope Severity Impact severe weather Future Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Low Impact Stresses Ecosystem degradation; Species mortality Climate change & Temperature Timing Scope Severity Impact severe weather extremes Ongoing Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Medium Impact Stresses Species mortality Natural system Abstraction of Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications surface water Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact (unknown use) Declines Stresses Ecosystem conversion Natural system Other ecosystem Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications modifications Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Ecosystem conversion Conservation Conservation Actions Underway EU Birds Directive Annex II. There are currently no known conservation measures in place for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed Key sites should be identified and protected and monitoring of populations introduced. Research into the species's population dynamics and habitat requirements would inform future conservation measures. Bibliography Hagemeijer, W.J.M. and Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London. Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Taylor, B. and Christie, D.A. 2014. Western Water Rail ( aquaticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53625 on 4 March 2015). Taylor, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, U.K. Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. and Keith, S. 1986. The birds of vol. II. Academic Press, London. Map (see overleaf)