Ecological Relations 



The King Rail probably occurs in a wider variety of habitats than 

 any other rail. The species ranges from coastal salt and brackish 

 marshes to shrub swamps and occasionally is found even in upland 

 fields near marshes where it forages for grasshoppers and grain, and 

 where it sometimes nests. 



The distribution of the King Rail's habitat coincides rather closely 

 with that of the muskrat {^Ondaira zibethicus). Muskrats create opti- 

 mum habitat for rails by opening up marshes and producing networks 

 of pathways leading to plunge holes. When the tide goes out, water is 

 trapped in the holes, and rails use them as drinking places. Muskrat 

 trails are also favorite places for crayfish burrows. The crayfish are a 

 prime food of the rails and are usually carried to the tops of muskrat 

 houses for eating. 



Because of the geographic as well as the local variation in habitats 

 of the King Rail, the ecological relations will be discussed on a regional 

 basis. 



This chapter will cover both my own observations on the ecology of 

 the King Rail in Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Delaware, and 

 Maryland, and those of other authors in different States or areas. 



LOUISIANA GULF COAST MARSHES 



The King Rail and the I^uisiana Clapper Rail, a brownish fonn 

 virtually indistinguishable from the King Rail in the field, occur to- 

 gether in some sections of the Louisiana coastal marsh. Tliis vast marsh 

 area of more than 4 million acres is di\dded into three major divisions, 

 each of which is a distinct habitat type and will be discussed sepa- 

 rately : the delta marsh, subdelta marsh, and prairie marsh (St. Amant 

 1959, p. 97-101) (fig. 4). 



The delta marsh 



The delta marsh, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, comprises 

 only 7 percent of the total coastal marsh area of Louisiana. Important 

 pliant species of the delta m>arsh are oaittails {Tyflia s'pp.)^ roseau cane 

 or reed {Phragmites communis) , common three-square {Scii'pm ameri- 

 canus) , dog-tooth grass {Panicum repens) , giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis 

 miliacea), saltmarsh cordgrass (Spai^tina alteimiflora) ^ delta duck 

 potato {Sagittarm platyphylla) ^ alligatorweed {Altemanthera phil- 

 oxeroides)^ and water hyacinth {Eichhoimia crassipes). 

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