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King Rail sounds

Boletebill

Sun, May 27, 2007 12:14 PM

Yesterday at Hammonasset I was lucky to see the King Rail in the wet area at Meigs-Nature Center parking lot walking around in plain sight in short grass. Great looks. I was also lucky enough to see the King sing. The song, if you can call it that, was similar to a Clapper. Short and not so much like rocks banging together but still similar. Then I read a couple of descriptions of the King Rail's two syllable song and so I went to the McCauley lab website and listened to Rail songs for a bit.
The King has a few different vocalizations, one the "tek-keh, tek-keh....", another a series of clacking sounds much like a Clapper. Of course Clappers have different variations on their vocalizations too. The reason I bring all this up is that if I wasn't already looking at the King Rail when I saw it vocalize I would have thought it was a Clapper. It was that similar. I'm curious about others experiences with confusing King for Clapper vocalizations and also about what happens to Clapper/King Rail songs when they hybridize? These two birds seem close enough relatives that I'm not surprized that their songs overlap but I'll listen much more closely now when I hear what I "think" are Clapper calls.

                                              Bill Yule

"For those who hunger after the earthly excrescences called mushrooms."

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Yesterday at Hammonasset I was lucky to see the King Rail in the wet area at Meigs-Nature Center parking lot walking around in plain sight in short grass. Great looks. I was also lucky enough to see the King sing. The song, if you can call it that, was similar to a Clapper. Short and not so much like rocks banging together but still similar. Then I read a couple of descriptions of the King Rail's two syllable song and so I went to the McCauley lab website and listened to Rail songs for a bit. The King has a few different vocalizations, one the "tek-keh, tek-keh....", another a series of clacking sounds much like a Clapper. Of course Clappers have different variations on their vocalizations too. The reason I bring all this up is that if I wasn't already looking at the King Rail when I saw it vocalize I would have thought it was a Clapper. It was that similar. I'm curious about others experiences with confusing King for Clapper vocalizations and also about what happens to Clapper/King Rail songs when they hybridize? These two birds seem close enough relatives that I'm not surprized that their songs overlap but I'll listen much more closely now when I hear what I "think" are Clapper calls. Bill Yule "For those who hunger after the earthly excrescences called mushrooms." --------------------------------- Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV.

COMINS, Patrick

Sun, May 27, 2007 12:32 PM

If you are at Station 43 or White Memorial and hear a large rail, I'd think you would be safe to assume it to be a King Rail. If you're at Hammonasset or anywhere coastal, it can pay to get a look at it.

Patrick

Patrick Comins, Meriden

-----Original Message----- 
From: ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org on behalf of Boletebill 
Sent: Sun 5/27/2007 8:14 AM 
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org 
Cc: 
Subject: [CT Birds] King Rail sounds



Yesterday at Hammonasset I was lucky to see the King Rail in the wet area at Meigs-Nature Center parking lot walking around in plain sight in short grass. Great looks. I was also lucky enough to see the King sing.  The song, if you can call it that, was similar to a Clapper. Short and not so much like rocks banging together but still similar.  Then I read a couple of descriptions of the King Rail's two syllable song and so I  went to the McCauley lab website and listened to Rail songs for a bit.
    The King has a few different vocalizations, one the "tek-keh, tek-keh....", another a series of clacking sounds much like a Clapper. Of course Clappers have different variations on their vocalizations too.  The reason I bring all this up is that if I wasn't already looking at the King Rail when I saw it vocalize I would have thought it was a Clapper. It was that similar. I'm curious about others experiences with confusing King for Clapper vocalizations and also about what happens to Clapper/King Rail songs when they hybridize? These two birds seem close enough relatives that I'm not surprized that their songs overlap but I'll listen much more closely now when I hear what I "think" are Clapper calls.
    
  
                                                  Bill Yule


"For those who hunger after the earthly excrescences called mushrooms."
      
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While vocalization can be a great clue, I would say that probably the only time you can know for 'sure' without seeing the bird is if the bird is far inland. Location is important since King Rails tend to show up in fresher water than Clapper Rails. All of the ones I have seen in CT have been in fresh water impoundments or headwaters of tidal marshes (all great places for the invasive strain or Phragmites to form a thick monoculture, which is one reason we don't have many King Rails.). Hybridization puts another layer of complexity on the situation, it can sound spot on for a King Rail, come around the corner and have gray cheeks. There are also some calls that are said to be unique to King Rail that I recall Mark Szantyr telling me are occasionally made by clappers. If you are at Station 43 or White Memorial and hear a large rail, I'd think you would be safe to assume it to be a King Rail. If you're at Hammonasset or anywhere coastal, it can pay to get a look at it. Patrick Patrick Comins, Meriden -----Original Message----- From: ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org on behalf of Boletebill Sent: Sun 5/27/2007 8:14 AM To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org Cc: Subject: [CT Birds] King Rail sounds Yesterday at Hammonasset I was lucky to see the King Rail in the wet area at Meigs-Nature Center parking lot walking around in plain sight in short grass. Great looks. I was also lucky enough to see the King sing. The song, if you can call it that, was similar to a Clapper. Short and not so much like rocks banging together but still similar. Then I read a couple of descriptions of the King Rail's two syllable song and so I went to the McCauley lab website and listened to Rail songs for a bit. The King has a few different vocalizations, one the "tek-keh, tek-keh....", another a series of clacking sounds much like a Clapper. Of course Clappers have different variations on their vocalizations too. The reason I bring all this up is that if I wasn't already looking at the King Rail when I saw it vocalize I would have thought it was a Clapper. It was that similar. I'm curious about others experiences with confusing King for Clapper vocalizations and also about what happens to Clapper/King Rail songs when they hybridize? These two birds seem close enough relatives that I'm not surprized that their songs overlap but I'll listen much more closely now when I hear what I "think" are Clapper calls. Bill Yule "For those who hunger after the earthly excrescences called mushrooms." --------------------------------- Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org