THE BIRD BOOK 
211. Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans 
crepitans. 
Ranges — Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast 
from southern New England southward. 
A grayish colored Rail, about the size of, and 
with the markings similar to those of the King 
Rail. It is as exclusively a salt water species as 
the King Rail is a fresh water one. With the 
possible exception of the Carolina or Sora Rail, 
this is the most abundant of all the Rails, hun- 
Buff. 
dreds nesting in a single marsh on the South 
Atlantic coast. Their nests are built of rushes 
and weeds, and are placed on the ground either in 
the tall grass bordering the marshes or attached 
to the rushes in the midst of the marsh. The 
nesting season commences during April and con- 
tinues through May. They lay from six to four- 
teen eggs, of a buff color spotted irregularly with 
brown and gray. Size 1.70 x 1.20. 
211a. Louisiana Clapper Rail. Rallus crep- 
Iving Rail. 
Clapper Rail. 
the coast of Louisiana, 
brighter in plumage. 
itans saturatus. 
The habitation of this subspecies is limited to 
It is very similar to the proceeding but is said to be 
211b. Florida Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans scotti. 
Range. — Western coast of Florida. 
This bird is also similar to crepitans but is much darker and brighter. 
211c. Wayne’s Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans waynei. 
Range. — South Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida. 
This subspecies is a little darker than crepitans, being about midway be- 
tween that species and Rallus scotti. The nests and eggs of any of these sub- 
species cannot be distinguished from those of the common Clapper Rail. 
211.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail. Rallus longirostris caribaeus. 
Range. — West Indies and east coast of Mexico, north to southern Texas. 
This species is similar to the Clapper, but has a shorter and relatively stouter 
bill. 
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