Yellow Rail
Coturnicops noveboracensis
Family: (Rallidae) Rails, Gallinules and Coots
Preferred Habitat: Shallow marshes, rice fields
Seasonal Occurrence: October through April.
Notes: The Yellow Rail can be locally common in suitable habitat on the coast but it is never easy to find. All rails are secretive by nature, and Yellow Rails more so than most. Their cryptic coloring and small size make them extremely difficult to locate. Their call, a dry tic-tic-tic-tic, is a reliable indicator, but they call mainly at night. Yellow Rails breed on northern prairies. They are listed as a species of highest conservation concern on Audubon's WatchList. Population trends are very difficult to monitor. Look for Yellow Rails at Houston Audubon's Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary and Anahuac NWR.
- Susan Billetdeaux