Rallus aquaticus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GRUIFORMES	RALLIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rallus aquaticus

Species Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name/s:

English	–	European Water Rail, Water Rail
French	–	Râle d'eau

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Myanmar; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Yemen Vagrant: Brunei Darussalam; Greenland; Malaysia; Nepal; Sri Lanka; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Viet Nam
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Morocco; Myanmar; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Yemen

Vagrant:

Brunei Darussalam; Greenland; Malaysia; Nepal; Sri Lanka; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Viet Nam

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Western and southern populations of this species are mainly sedentary³, whereas others are fully migratory, moving overland on a broad front between breeding and wintering grounds¹. After mild winters the spring migration begins in late-February, otherwise it occurs from March to mid-April³ or May¹. In Europe and Russia the autumn migration occurs from August to December^{1, 3}. The species breeds in single pairs or small family groups³ although large concentrations of breeding birds may occurring in extensive wetlands, with nests 20-50 m apart where population densities are high². After breeding the species may pause on passage in favourable habitats between early-July and early-September² to undergo a flightless wing-moult³ that may last for c.3 weeks^{3, 2}. Outside of the breeding season the species remains solitary^{2, 3}, but may occasionally congregate into small groups of up to 30 individuals during the winter². The species regularly uses well-defined paths between favoured food sources within its habitat³. Habitat The species requires muddy ground for foraging¹ and shows a preference for shallow still or slow-flowing water¹ 5-30 cm deep², surrounded by dense riparian, emergent, submergent or aquatic vegetation¹. Breeding It breeds in reedbeds and other emergent vegetation in fresh and saline swamps, fens and marshes^{1, 2} and at the fringes of open fresh or saline lakes^{1, 2, 5}. Other habitats include clay pits, gravel pits, peat excavations², river oxbows and channels, damp meadows⁵ and rice paddy-fields¹. Rather than occupying large uniform wet areas in larger habitats, the species shows a preference for wetlands that form a mosaic with drier patches and areas of trees (e.g. willow Salix spp.²) or other fringing scrub². Non-breeding On migration and in the winter the species frequents riverbanks⁴, canals⁴, gravel pits¹, farm sewage outfalls^{1, 2}, marshy areas (Iceland)¹, bracken on islands^{1, 2}, flooded blackberry Rubus spp. thickets^{1, 2} and other very small wetland patches¹. Diet The species is omnivorous, its diet consisting predominantly of animal matter³ such as worms, leeches, molluscs, shrimps, crayfish, spiders, terrestrial and aquatic insects and larvae, amphibians^{1, 2} (e.g. frogs, toads and newts)², fish, birds and mammals¹. It also takes plant matter (especially during the autumn and winter) including shoots, roots, seeds, berries and fruits¹. Breeding site The nest is a substantial cup of vegetation^{1, 2} that is usually positioned in thick stands of reeds or rushes on the ground in or near water, or rarely on a tree stump or in the open^{1, 2}. Nests placed in water are built up if the water level rises⁴.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Western and southern populations of this species are mainly sedentary³, whereas others are fully migratory, moving overland on a broad front between breeding and wintering grounds¹. After mild winters the spring migration begins in late-February, otherwise it occurs from March to mid-April³ or May¹. In Europe and Russia the autumn migration occurs from August to December^{1, 3}. The species breeds in single pairs or small family groups³ although large concentrations of breeding birds may occurring in extensive wetlands, with nests 20-50 m apart where population densities are high². After breeding the species may pause on passage in favourable habitats between early-July and early-September² to undergo a flightless wing-moult³ that may last for c.3 weeks^{3, 2}. Outside of the breeding season the species remains solitary^{2, 3}, but may occasionally congregate into small groups of up to 30 individuals during the winter². The species regularly uses well-defined paths between favoured food sources within its habitat³. Habitat The species requires muddy ground for foraging¹ and shows a preference for shallow still or slow-flowing water¹ 5-30 cm deep², surrounded by dense riparian, emergent, submergent or aquatic vegetation¹. Breeding It breeds in reedbeds and other emergent vegetation in fresh and saline swamps, fens and marshes^{1, 2} and at the fringes of open fresh or saline lakes^{1, 2, 5}. Other habitats include clay pits, gravel pits, peat excavations², river oxbows and channels, damp meadows⁵ and rice paddy-fields¹. Rather than occupying large uniform wet areas in larger habitats, the species shows a preference for wetlands that form a mosaic with drier patches and areas of trees (e.g. willow Salix spp.²) or other fringing scrub². Non-breeding On migration and in the winter the species frequents riverbanks⁴, canals⁴, gravel pits¹, farm sewage outfalls^{1, 2}, marshy areas (Iceland)¹, bracken on islands^{1, 2}, flooded blackberry Rubus spp. thickets^{1, 2} and other very small wetland patches¹. Diet The species is omnivorous, its diet consisting predominantly of animal matter³ such as worms, leeches, molluscs, shrimps, crayfish, spiders, terrestrial and aquatic insects and larvae, amphibians^{1, 2} (e.g. frogs, toads and newts)², fish, birds and mammals¹. It also takes plant matter (especially during the autumn and winter) including shoots, roots, seeds, berries and fruits¹. Breeding site The nest is a substantial cup of vegetation^{1, 2} that is usually positioned in thick stands of reeds or rushes on the ground in or near water, or rarely on a tree stump or in the open^{1, 2}. Nests placed in water are built up if the water level rises⁴.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is vulnerable to severe conditions (e.g. ice or severe floods)^{1, 2}.

Major Threat(s):

The species is vulnerable to severe conditions (e.g. ice or severe floods)^{1, 2}.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Rallus aquaticus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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