The brown wood rail is a Vulnerable species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
Region
Chocó–Darien lowlands
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in the humid Pacific lowlands of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, centered on the Chocó bioregion. It inhabits mangrove forests, seasonally flooded and swamp forests, and dense riparian thickets along slow streams. The species also uses adjacent secondary growth with heavy understory, especially near water or muddy edges. It keeps to shadowy, tangled ground and understory layers, often near tidal creeks. Human disturbance and conversion of coastal forests limit its occupancy.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A notoriously secretive rail of humid lowland forests, the brown wood rail is most often detected by its loud, chorused calls at dawn and dusk rather than by sight. It favors dense, wet thickets and mangroves, where it runs swiftly through tangles and seldom flies. Habitat loss in the Chocó lowlands has driven declines, and the species is assessed as Vulnerable. Patience and quiet listening are the best strategies to encounter it.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; prefers to run rather than fly
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs within dense cover. Pairs maintain territories and call in duets, especially at crepuscular hours. Nests are believed to be low or near ground level in dense vegetation over water or saturated soil.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, resonant series of clucks, grunts, and yelping notes, often delivered as a duet that carries far in still forest air. Calls peak around dawn and dusk and may escalate into rapid, rhythmic chatter when pairs are agitated.
Plumage
Rich, mostly uniform brown head and neck with darker brown upperparts; underparts duskier with a blackish belly and vent; wings brown with a slightly rufous wash.
Diet
An opportunistic omnivore that takes insects, spiders, and other arthropods among leaf litter and mud. In mangroves it consumes small crabs, snails, and other invertebrates, and will also pick at small fish or amphibians when available. It supplements animal prey with fallen fruits and seeds.
Preferred Environment
Forages along muddy stream margins, tidal channels in mangroves, and the dim forest floor of swampy thickets. It probes soft substrates and flips leaf litter, often remaining close to dense cover for quick retreat.
