Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Endangered because it is recently known from only three localities, and has a very small known population and range, which are presumed to be undergoing continuing and rapid declines owing to coastal development. There are recent records, and surveys are urgently required to develop appropriate conservation measures.
Population justification
The population is assumed to fall in the band 50-249 individuals, based on a paucity of recent records and the restricted number of known localities. This equates to 33-166 mature individuals, placed here in the band 50-200 mature individuals. For the sites where there are recent records (i.e. since its initial collection in the 1940s-1950s), the population is estimated to be at least 20 pairs in the Morrocoy-Tucacas area of Falcón and 15 in Patanemo, Carabobo. Verification of this estimate is desirable.
Trend justification
This species's population is suspected to be rapidly decreasing as its mangrove habitat is lost or degraded due to coastal housing, touristic and industrial developments, pollution from domestic sewage and agricultural run-off, sedimentation and the restriction of water flow by road-building.
This species is restricted to a small stretch of the north coast of Venezuela, where it is known from, at most, nine localities - and only five in recent years - in east Falcón, north Carabobo and Aragua. Recent survey work in 2010 and 2012 found the species in Parque Nacional Henri Pittier (Aragua), Parque Nacional San Esteban (Carabobo), Parque Nacional Morrocoy (Falcón) and Refugio de Fauna Silvestre de Cuare (Falcón) (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013, Taylor et al. 2014, Rodríguez-Ferraro et al. 2015).
It is extremely rare and very poorly known, but was probably at least locally common when discovered: 11 specimens were collected at Puerto Cabello/San Esteban in 1944-1945, and 11 at Tucacas in May 1951. It persists at Tucacas where at least six pairs were found in June 1999 (R. S. Ridgely in litt. 1999) and where it was again recorded in 2010 and 2012 (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013, Rodríguez-Ferraro et al. 2015) and on the Morrocoy Peninsula where there have been regular sightings since 1999 (C. J. Sharpe in litt. 2011, A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013). The only other records for Falcón since the 1950s are an unconfirmed record at Cuare Faunal Refuge in 1986 and sightings at the same location in 2010 and 2012 (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013). In Carabobo, there are apparently recent sightings from Patanemo (Ascanio et al. 2008, A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013, Rodríguez-Ferraro et al. 2015, Sharpe et al. 2015), 10 km east of Puerto Cabello. In Aragua, recent records are of a pair at Playa de Cata, 15 km east of La Ciénaga, in April 1991 (A. Fernández Badillo in litt. 1992) (however no suitable habitat occurs at this location [Taylor et al. 2014, Sharpe et al. 2015]), and a pair at Henri Pittier National Park in 1991 and 1993 (A. Fernandez Badillo per A. Lentino in litt. 1994) and again in 2010 and 2012 where approximately five pairs were recorded in both years (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013, Rodríguez-Ferraro et al. 2015). An observation of a bird at Las Peonias Lagoon near Maracaibo, Zulia in August 2000 (J. Colvée, cited in World Birdwatch 2001. 23(2):5) would be a significant range extension requiring verification.
It is apparently sedentary in coastal mangroves, and shallow saltwater or seasonally flooded brackish lagoons and marshes with emergent and halophytic vegetation dominated by saltwort Batis maritima. A breeding condition female was collected in April, a male taken in May had enlarged testes, and a bird collected in September was apparently a juvenile, suggesting a breeding season beginning in April or May. Information on diet is lacking.
Mangrove habitats are being destroyed to make way for housing and hotel developments, and construction of marinas for pleasure boats. The Cuare Faunal Refuge is threatened by squatters, hotel developments, tourism, illegal hunting, pollution from domestic sewage, pesticides and mercury, a proposed golf course and the restriction of water flow by road-building. Development projects threaten the coastal wetlands of San Esteban and Henri Pittier National Park. The Playa de Cata lagoon has been closed off from the sea by a dyke to facilitate the development of the beach for tourism.
Conservation and Research Actions Underway
It is found in Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, Parque Nacional San Esteban and Parque Nacional Morrocoy (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013). Cuare Faunal Refuge is a Ramsar site (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Significant mangrove areas remain in Henri Pittier and Morrocoy National Parks (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995, C. J. Sharpe, J. P. Rodríguez and F. Rojas-Suárez in litt. 1999). This species is considered Endangered in the Venezuelan Red Data Book (Sharpe 2008, Sharpe et al. 2015) and amongst the four highest priority bird species for conservation in Venezuela (Rodríguez et al. 2004). Periodic censuses were due to start in 2013 (A. Rodríguez-Ferraro in litt. 2013).
Conservation and Research Actions Proposed
Survey to establish its current distribution (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Re-enforce management plans at Cuare Faunal Refuge (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Control tourism developments at Playa de Cata (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995).
24-27 cm. Medium-sized, predominantly brown rail. Olive-brown crown. Pale fawn supercilium. Dark grey lores. Rest of face dull buffy-brown. Buffy-brown upperparts and tail, streaked blackish-brown. More uniform upperwing-coverts. Dark brown remiges. Whitish-buff chin. Buff throat. Buffy-brown and unstreaked underparts. More pinkish-buff lower belly and sometimes whitish undertail-coverts. Reddish-brown iris. Relatively straight and slender, dark olive bill, with paler brown base to lower mandible. Olive-brown legs. Similar spp. Clapper Rail R. longirostris is larger with grey on neck and barred underparts. Virginia Rail R. limicola has grey on the neck, barred underparts, rufous wing-coverts and red on bill. Voice Advertising call a series of loud, rapid kek-kek-kek...kek-kek-kek notes, often given in duet and preceded by several soft growling calls given by other bird. Male courtship call a series of evenly-spaced harsh kek notes (Taylor et al. 2014).
Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Capper, D., Pilgrim, J., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A. & Ashpole, J
Contributors
Fernandez Badillo, A., Lentino, A., Ridgely, R., Rodríguez, J., Rojas-Suárez, F., Sharpe, C J & Rodríguez-Ferraro, A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Plain-flanked Rail Rallus wetmorei. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/plain-flanked-rail-rallus-wetmorei on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.