SHORT COMMUNICATIONS ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 23: 461–466, 2012 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society FIRST DESCRIPTION OF THE NEST AND EGGS OF THE PLAIN-FLANKED RAIL (RALLUS WETMOREI) Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro1,2, Eugenia Sánchez2, & Miguel Lentino3 1Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Apdo. 89.000, Caracas 1080-A, Venezuela. E-mail:
[email protected] 2Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Apdo. 89.000, Caracas 1080-A, Venezuela. 3Fundación William H. Phelps, Apdo. 2009, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela. Primera descripción del nido y los huevos de la Polla de Wetmore (Rallus wetmorei). Key words: Plain-flanked Rail, Rallus wetmorei, eggs, mangrove, nest, Venezuela. INTRODUCTION conservation priorities in Venezuela (Rodrí- guez et al. 2004). Main threats for this rail The Plain-flanked Rail (Rallus wetmorei) is a are the loss and deterioration of mangrove Venezuelan endemic species deserving urgent habitat as a consequence of expanding attention from a conservation perspective. touristic developments and activities derived This bird was first described in the mid-1940s from petrochemical industries (Rodríguez & (Zimmer & Phelps 1944), and after a few Rojas-Suárez 2008). These problems even other observations during the following 10 exist within the boundaries of the few pro- years, it went unrecorded for almost three tected areas (three national parks and one decades, until rediscovered in 1999 (Hilty wildlife refuge) where the species is known to 2003). It is restricted to a small area along the occur. central coast of Venezuela where it is known Recovery efforts of endangered birds from eight localities (Taylor 1996), but in have been hampered by the lack of basic recent years, it has been found in only five of knowledge on their biology, thus, research these sites (Rodríguez-Ferraro & Lentino in focused on determining biological character- prep.).