|
English
and Scientific names: |
Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)
|
|
Number
of individuals: |
1 (age/sex unknown) |
|
Locality:
LOUISIANA: |
Cameron Parish |
|
Specific
Locality: |
along LA-27/82 at West Ferry landing, Cameron |
|
Date(s)
when observed: |
27 April 2008 |
|
Time(s)
of day when observed: |
~5:15 PM CDT |
|
Reporting
observer and address: |
Devin Bosler Baton Rouge, LA |
|
Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
Justin Bosler, Charlie Lyon, Terry Davis |
|
Other observers who independently
identified the bird(s) |
Curt Sorrells, Philip Wallace, Mac Myers, Paul
Conover |
|
Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Partly cloudy sky w/ optimal late afternoon
sunlight. Sun angle relatively high
and not a factor (no visual was obtained). |
|
Optical
equipment: |
Zeiss Victory FL 8x42 (excellent condition) |
|
Distance
to bird(s): |
ca. 3-5 meters |
|
Duration
of observation: |
~5 min. |
|
Habitat:
|
Wet, roadside ditch overgrown w/ thick grasses,
sedges, cattails, and eastern baccharis. |
|
Behavior
of bird: |
The rail was constantly on the move (presumably
foraging) and quietly vocalizing from the concealment of the weedy
thicket/marsh. |
|
Description: |
No visual was obtained. The rail’s repetitious vocalizations were heard throughout the
encounter. It delivered the
diagnostic ‘kik-kee-der’ spontaneously as it moved around continuously amid
the thick vegetation just out of sight. |
|
Voice: |
A soft, repetitive ‘kik-kee-der’ call. |
|
Similar species: |
No other North American rails (or waterbirds) have
similar vocalizations. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Of course no photos/video, it’s a Black Rail. Unfortunately, no tape recordings either. |
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
Familiar w/ Black Rail vocalizations from CA and
NJ. Heard 1, possibly 2 calling from
saltmarsh at Jake’s Landing, Dennisville, NJ (Cape May) on 22 May 2004.
Most recently encountered an individual calling from a cattail pond at
Pebble Beach GC, Pebble Beach, CA (Monterey)
on 6 Aug 2007. |
|
Identification
aids: |
National Geographic Complete Birds of N.A. (Alderfer
et al. 2005) |
|
This
description is written from: |
notes made during the observation, notes made
after the observation, memory |
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes |
|
Reporter:
|
Devin
Bosler
|
|
Date
and time: |
3 May 2008 5:30 PM CDT |