NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KING RAIL 



,13 



Stuttgart, Ark. On the night of March 11, 1956, single King Rails 

 were heard calling as they migrated northward over the city of Alex- 

 andria at 8:30, 9:30, and 11 p.m. They appear to be less vociferous 

 while migrating in the fall. The most commonly uttered call of mi- 

 grating King Rails is a chur-r-r-r-r (the r like the German "R"). 

 Another call occasionally given is chac-chac-chac-. 



Probably most fall migration takes place after molting, which is 

 completed about the first of September. In Delaware, I have collected 

 flightless birds in the last week in August that would still have been 

 flightless through the first week in September. However, some rails 

 collected in late August had nearly or completely renewed their flight 

 feathers. 



The fall departure schedule for three species of rails at the Pa- 

 tuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Md., was determined by a 

 trapping and banding program extending from midsummer to early 

 winter. King Rails were the first to leave the area (the last by late 

 September) ; they were followed by Soras (the last by early Novem- 

 ber), and lastly by Virginias (the last of December). 



David C. Hulse (personal communication) wrote that a definite 

 influx of King Rails is noticed annually at Decatur, northern Ala- 

 bama, in late September : "Local birds are still here and at this time 

 must be augmented by migrants. Departure is gradual and by late 

 October rails become gradually scarce." 



King Rails breeding at the southern limit of their range in the 

 gulf coast region are probably permanent residents or may perform 

 short coastwise migrations. 



Winter records for the Middle Atlantic and North Central States 

 suggest the possibility of permanent residency by some individuals. 

 In the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland there are two records of 

 King Rails banded in August and recovered in the same marsh the 

 following January. Also, a 6-week-old chick banded July 12, 1968, 

 at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Md., was recovered 

 December 12, 1968, at the same place. 



As of January 1966 there have been only two recoveries of King 

 Rails that migrated an appreciable distance from the point of band- 

 ing. Only one of these was a direct recovery (bird recovered within 

 12 months of banding date). A 2- week-old chick was banded at Stutt- 

 gart, Arkansas County, Ark., on June 2, 1952, and recovered at Cut 

 Off, Lafourche Parish, La., December 1, 1952, having traveled a dis- 

 tance of about 350 miles. The other recovery concerned a King Rail 

 banded at Lassie, Wharton County, Tex., June 9, 1949, and recovered 

 at Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, 1,000 miles away, on May 

 2, 1951. A King Rail banded at Ruthven, Palo Alto County, Iowa, 

 August 25, 1951, and recovered at Lake View, Sac County, Iowa, 



