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Rallus elegans

Audubon, 1834

King Rail

G4Apparently Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Jonathan Irons; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Jonathan Irons; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Rowan Keunen; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Rowan Keunen; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Matt Zuro; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Matt Zuro; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Daniel Field; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Daniel Field; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Daniel Singer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Daniel Singer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). © Paul Fenwick; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Paul Fenwick; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
King Rail (Rallus elegans). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.962122
Element CodeABNME05070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderGruiformes
FamilyRallidae
GenusRallus
Other Common Names
king rail (EN) Râle élégant (FR) Rascón Real (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, A.G. Navarro-Sigüenza, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K.Winker. 2014. Fifty-Fifth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 131(4):1-15.
Taxonomic Comments
Rallus tenuirostris was formerly considered conspecific with R. elegans, but they are not sister taxa (Maley and Brumfield 2013) (AOU 2014).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-07-30
Change Date2002-12-12
Edition Date2025-07-30
Edition AuthorsJennings, R. Partially revised by G. Hammerson. (2002), rev. D. K. Jue (2014); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
This species has a broad, but spotty, distribution in freshwater wetlands across eastern North America and Cuba. The population has suffered severe declines due to wetland habitat loss and continues to decline.
Range Extent Comments
The breeding range of this species extends from southern Ontario, Canada south through the eastern United States to the Gulf Coast and the Florida peninsula, and Cuba and the Isle of Pines (Pickens and Meanley 2020). The breeding range extent is estimated to be 3,252,314 km² (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).

The non-breeding range includes the southern extent of the breeding range with a northern limit along the Atlantic Coast around Delaware Bay and a northern inland limit around the rice belt of Arkansas (Pickens and Meanley 2020). The non-breeding range is much more clustered along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and generally absent inland. The non-breeding range extent is estimated to be 2,667,760 km² (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
This species is widespread but with a spotty distribution where suitable habitat exists. The exact number of occurrences is not known.
Threat Impact Comments
Habitat loss is the primary threat to this species. Wetland habitats have been drained, and converted to residential homes or businesses throughout the range (Brewer et al. 1991, Pickens and Meanley 2020). Collisions with buildings, communication towers, fences, and other man-made structures is increasingly documented (Pickens and Meanley 2020). Recreational hunting is a minor threat probably with low overall impact.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, upland-wetland marsh edges, ricefields or similar flooded farmlands, shrub swamps; locally in brackish and coastal salt marshes (Meanley 1969, AOU 1983, Sibley and Monroe 1990). An oligohaline marsh in coastal North Carolina that is dominated by needlegrass rush (Juncus roemerianus), a plant typically associated with salt marsh, is occupied by king rails (Kolts and McRae 2017).

Nest is an elevated platform, often with a canopy and ramp, attached to plants growing in shallow water (0-25 cm) or placed in a tussock or other waterside vegetation (Meanley 1969, Harrison 1978, Clauser and McRae 2016). Adults bring broods to shallower locations than nesting sites and non-breeding season foraging sites (Kolts and McRae 2017).

Ecology

In coastal North Carolina, females had larger home ranges during the non-breeding season (Kolts and McRae 2017).

Reproduction

Females build elevated nests above the water and sometimes continue building when water levels increase (Clauser and McRae 2016). In central Ohio, 26 of 34 nests were found during the last half of May (Meanley 1969). Clutch size 6-15 (commonly 8-11) eggs. Females will shade eggs during hot periods to maintain optimal incubating temperatures (Clauser and McRae 2017). Incubation 21-24 days, by both sexes. Young tended by both parents, leave nest soon after hatching, first fly at about 9 weeks (Kolts and McRae 2017).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1B
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS1BYes
United StatesN4B,N4N
ProvinceRankNative
NebraskaS1Yes
WisconsinS1BYes
Rhode IslandS1B,S1NYes
MaineS1NYes
OhioS1Yes
MichiganS2Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
North CarolinaS3B,S3NYes
West VirginiaSHBYes
IllinoisS2Yes
MississippiS2Yes
DelawareS1BYes
TennesseeS2Yes
IndianaS1BYes
MinnesotaS1B,SNRMYes
KansasS2BYes
New JerseyS1B,SUNYes
MassachusettsS1B,S1NYes
New YorkS1BYes
MarylandS2BYes
ArkansasS1BYes
District of ColumbiaS2NYes
FloridaS3Yes
LouisianaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS1B,S1MYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
AlabamaS2B,S4NYes
VirginiaS2B,S3NYes
South DakotaSHBYes
New HampshireSHBYes
KentuckyS1BYes
MissouriS1Yes
TexasS3BYes
IowaS1NYes
OklahomaS1BYes
ConnecticutS1BYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasRestricted (11-30%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areasPervasive (71-100%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.1 - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animalsLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.1.1 - Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)Large (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (9)
Illinois (3)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
North Carolina (6)
AreaForestAcres
Pocosin AdditionCroatan National Forest286
Pocosin AdditionCroatan National Forest286
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
References (38)
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  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, A.G. Navarro-Sigüenza, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K.Winker. 2014. Fifty-Fifth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 131(4):1-15.
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