The plain-flanked rail is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is endemic to Venezuela.
Region
Northern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in central-western Venezuela, especially in the Llanos and around the Lake Maracaibo basin. It favors extensive stands of dense emergent vegetation such as cattails and tall grasses along shallow freshwater marshes, seasonal wetlands, and flooded savannas. Birds are most often detected near the edges of lagoons, oxbows, and slow channels where cover meets open water. It may also use rice fields and ditches when natural marshes are scarce.
Altitude Range
0–500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive rail lives in dense marshes and flooded savannas, where it is more often heard than seen. Its name refers to its relatively plain, unbarred flanks compared to many other rails. It is threatened by wetland drainage, burning of marsh vegetation, and conversion to agriculture, and conservation relies on protecting remaining lowland wetlands in Venezuela.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, reluctant to fly, usually flushes low over marsh
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, remaining under dense cover. Likely monogamous during the breeding season with both parents tending the nest. Nests are placed in dense emergent vegetation slightly above water, with concealed access tunnels.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp kek-kek notes, grating clacks, and accelerating rattles typical of rails. Most calling occurs at dawn and dusk and during rainy-season breeding.
Plumage
Upperparts brown to olive-brown with fine mottling; underparts mostly slaty-gray with characteristically plain, unbarred flanks. Undertail can show warmer rufous tones; throat slightly paler. Feathers appear smooth and close-fitting, aiding movement through dense reeds.
Diet
Takes a variety of invertebrates such as insects, spiders, snails, and small crustaceans, supplemented by seeds and tender aquatic plant matter. Forages by probing soft mud, gleaning from stems, and picking prey at the water’s edge. Will opportunistically take small amphibians when available.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense stands of cattails, grasses, and sedges, especially along ecotones where cover meets shallow water. Also uses rice paddies, drainage ditches, and flooded pastures that provide both cover and foraging substrate.
