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Manatee County

Audubon Society

Clapper Rail

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Name

Clapper Rail

Scientific Name

(Rallus crepitans)

Why they are special:
  • A secretive marsh bird found in Florida’s coastal wetlands and salt marshes.

  • Known for its loud, repetitive clapping calls, which give it its name.

Size and color:
  • Medium rail, 12–15 inches long with a wingspan of 18–22 inches.

  • Brown and gray streaked body, gray face and breast, long slightly curved bill.

  • Juveniles are paler and more mottled.

Seasonality in Florida:
  • Year-round resident in salt and brackish marshes.

Habitat:
  • Salt marshes, tidal creeks, and mangrove edges.

  • Often hidden among reeds and cordgrass.

Diet:
  • Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and small fish.

Behavior:
  • Skulks through marsh vegetation; rarely seen in open.

  • Loud, repetitive calls are most common at dawn and dusk.

Conservation notes:
  • Populations are stable in Florida, but sensitive to marsh drainage and development.

Best time to see:
  • Year-round, often detected by calls rather than visual observation.

Fun Fact:
  • Clapper Rails are marsh ambush experts, slipping through reeds silently to catch crabs and small fish.

 

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