Ridgway's Rail
Rallus obsoletus
These photos of Ridgway's Rails were all taken at the Arrowhead Marsh section of the MLK Regional Shoreline in Oakland, CA. Known as a Clapper Rail until 2014, the Ridgway's Rail is an Endangered Species. The main threat to them is human developments that remove the salt marsh habitats they need to live. They like to hide in the reeds. At lower tide, they may venture out to avail themselves of food. At unusually high tides, they may become visible as they are forced to occupy the smaller amount of above-water marsh land. Birders may use tide tables to time their visits to likely or known habitats. The upper two photos and the lower left one were taken shortly after low tide on July 15, 2015. The lower-right photo taken February 19, 2015 shows the Ridgway's Rail in a pose that is more typical of my usual sightings of them: pretty well-hidden and camouflaged. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)