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Ridgway's Rails on San Francisco Bay
Listen for jolting notes, like a small engine cranking up.
© Edwin Mercado
Once abundant around San Francisco Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail — formerly known as the California Clapper Rail — is now endangered. In the 19th Century, unregulated hunting plundered the species. In the 20th Century, rampant development reduced salt marsh habitat by 85%. But in the 21st Century, the Ridgway’s Rail has allies. Restoration is under way to increase healthy saltmarsh habitat for these endangered birds. Also, efforts to control the number of predatory cats are improving the chances for the Ridgway’s Rail to survive.
BirdNote®
Ridgway Rails on San Francisco Bay
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
[Ridgway’s Rail loud calls, clacking notes leading to oinking call]
In a salt marsh near San Francisco, a loud clatter erupts from the dense vegetation. These jolting notes, like a small engine cranking up, are the voice of a Ridgway’s Rail.
[Ridgway’s Rail loud calls, clacking notes leading to oinking call]
The secretive bird peeks out from the edge of the marsh grass. First, the long red bill appears, followed by the cinnamon-colored breast and white striped flanks. The rail takes a step forward on long yellow legs, revealing a stubby, upturned tail. Picture a slim, tawny chicken – but with the bill and legs of a sandpiper, and a singular voice to match its eccentric appearance.
[Ridgway’s Rail calls]
Once abundant around San Francisco Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail — formerly known as the California Clapper Rail — is today endangered. In the 19th Century, unregulated hunting plundered the species. In the 20th Century, rampant development reduced salt marsh habitat by 85%.
But in the 21st Century, the Ridgway’s Rail has allies. Restoration is under way to increase healthy saltmarsh habitat for the scarce birds. Also, efforts to control the number of predatory cats are improving the chances for the Ridgway’s Rail to survive.
[The calls of several Ridgway’s Rails]
You can see photos of this bird when you come to our website, BirdNote.org. For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. ML210533 recorded by Bruce Rideout, ML103224 recorded by M. Medlar.
© 2016 BirdNote January 2016/2019/2022 & September 2024/2026
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID#CRRA-01-2017-23 CRRA-01
Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Michael Stein
Narrator
