Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
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 may be small, but it is not believed to 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.
Population justification
The population is estimated to number 10,000-25,000 individuals, roughly equating to 6,700-17,000 mature individuals (Wetlands International 2020).
Trend justification
The species is undergoing a small decline (Partners in Flight 2019, Wetlands International 2020).
This species exists in two disjunct populations. The nominate subspecies noveboracensis is migratory, breeding locally in Alberta, Mackenzie, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada, and North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts and Connecticut, U.S.A., and wintering from coastal North Carolina south to Florida and west along the gulf coast to Texas (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Subspecies goldmani is known from the rio Lerma in central Mexico, but as it has not been seen since 1964 and has lost much of its habitat to draining (del Hoyo et al. 1996); it is considered likely to be extinct.
The nominate subspecies noveboracensis arrives in its breeding grounds in late April and leaves in September or October (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The subspecies goldmani winters in both fresh-water and brackish marshes, but breeds only in fresh-water marshes and wet meadows (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Breeding takes place in the summer, with laying occurring between May and July (del Hoyo et al. 1996). In autumn, the species is sometimes found in hay and grain fields (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Drainage of its wetland habitat is the principal danger to this species throughout its range (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Text account compilers
Khwaja, N., Butchart, S., Hermes, C., Ekstrom, J., Harding, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/yellow-rail-coturnicops-noveboracensis on 27/12/2024.
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 27/12/2024.