King Rail (Rallus elegans) Caleb G. Putnam Status: State Endangered, Casual (MBRC)
Bay-Arenac Co. Area, MI. 6/27/2008 © Doug Jackson
(Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)
The largest of North American rails, the King “uncommon.” Today the species is strictly casual in Michigan, with only 12 accepted Rail is one of Michigan’s most enigmatic reports from 1998 to 2008 (MBRC 2009). breeding birds. Its extremely sparse distribution in the Lower Peninsula and the close similarity Detections during MBBA II were forthcoming of its vocalizations to those of the familiar in just eight blocks, with only a single Virginia Rail conspire to make it one of the confirmation of breeding. King Rails were most difficult species to detect in our state. detected at slightly greater levels (13 blocks) Correspondingly, as in the past, it continues to during MBBA I, perhaps indicating a be encountered very infrequently in Michigan continuation of gradual historical declines and surrounding states, and is subsequently during recent decades. Indeed, systematic recognized as state endangered. The King Rail surveying of 82 wetlands within three breeds from the eastern Great Plains to the kilometers of the Great Lakes shore during the Atlantic coast, as far north as North Dakota and mid 2000s, which included the use of Ontario, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. In the prerecorded playback, yielded not a single fall it retreats to a primarily coastal winter observation of this species (M. Sanders, pers. distribution stretching from the mid-Atlantic to comm.). Similar targeted surveying as late as the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba. An additional 1986 had yielded as many as 26 individuals resident population exists in Mexico. Winter (Rabe 1986). The species is clearly down to records from the northern extremity of its range, perilously low levels in Michigan. As in MBBA including Michigan, are very rare. I, the species was detected primarily on or near
the Great Lakes shorelines, with inland records Distribution much less frequent. The King Rail has experienced precipitous declines in Michigan and throughout the Like the Virginia Rail, the King Rail is found in northern reaches of its range since the early 20th a variety of emergent wetland habitats including century. Barrows (1912) described the species monotypic cattail, cattail-sedge-shrub, sedge- as “a common nester at St. Clair Flats,” “fairly grass, wet meadow (M. Sanders, pers. comm.), abundant in … Ingham County,” and as “far bulrush, and cattail-Phragmites mix, such as at from rare … from Monroe Co. to Saginaw Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (Evers 1984, Bay,” while Wood (1951) described it as
© 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center King Rail (Rallus elegans) Caleb G. Putnam Status: State Endangered, Casual (MBRC) Rabe 1986, pers. obs.). Water depths of less The continued protection and restoration of than six inches and wetlands larger than 50 wetlands is a prerequisite to this species’ future acres were preferred in Ohio (Trautman 1940). in Michigan. Elucidation of additional causes of Whether a similar area dependency is operative its decline would be helpful, as habitat loss in Michigan has not been quantified, but does alone (such as mentioned by Rabe 2001) may seem likely since most detections are at or near not be the only limiting factor. Potential threats the larger coastal wetlands along Saginaw Bay identified by the Michigan Wildlife Action Plan and western Lake Erie. (Eagle et al. 2005) include pollution and disease. It is unclear whether the apparent Breeding Biology abundance of suitable habitat which goes Because of the paucity of observations, the unused by this species is actually inhospitable to breeding biology of this species is poorly it, though it seems conceivable that an area understood. Rabe (2001) and McPeek (1994) dependency could be responsible. indicate a spring arrival of mid to late April, with active nests being observed from May to July, and downy young as late as August (Chartier 1999). The species typically vacates Michigan by the end of October (MBRC 2009).
Abundance and Population Trends Michigan may currently host as few as five to ten pairs of King Rails (McPeek 1991), a conclusion supported by MBBA II data. Available estimates for surrounding states and provinces were slightly higher, with 10-25 pairs suggested for Ohio (Peterjohn and Rice 1991) and 20-52 pairs for Ontario (Woodliffe 2007). Breeding Bird Survey data, notoriously weak for detecting crepuscular, secretive species such as the King Rail, suggested a rangewide annual decline of 7.9% between 1980 and 2002 (Poole et al. 2005).
Conservation Needs The King Rail population in Michigan is very low and possibly still declining. There is an urgent need for new information on all aspects of its biology in Michigan. Priorities include clarification of migration phenology, best survey periods, and best surveying methodology. Publication of audio recordings elucidating how to definitively separate this species from the very similar Virginia Rail would be extremely useful. Such information could guide additional targeted surveys.
© 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center King Rail (Rallus elegans) Caleb G. Putnam Status: State Endangered, Casual (MBRC) Rabe, M.L. 1986. King Rail census-1986: Literature Cited population status and habitat utilization. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. unpubl. report. Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Rabe, M.L. 2001. Special animal abstract for College. Lansing, MI. Rallus elegans (King Rail). Michigan Chartier, A. 1999. Michigan Bird Survey - Fall Natural Features Inventory. Lansing, 1998 (Aug-Nov). Michigan Birds and Michigan, U.S.A. 4 pp. Natural History 6:89-114. Trautman, M. 1940. The Birds of Buckeye Lake, Eagle, A.C., E.M. Hay-Chmielewski, K.T. Ohio. University of Michigan Museum of Cleveland, A.L. Derosier, M.E. Herbert, and Zoology Miscellaneous Publication No. 44. R.A. Rustem, eds. 2005. Michigan's Wildlife Wood, NA. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. MP Action Plan. Michigan Department of 75. University of Michigan Museum of Natural Resources. Lansing, Michigan, Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. U.S.A. 1592 pp.
© 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center