The slaty-breasted wood rail is a species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Region
Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs chiefly in the Atlantic Forest from southeastern Brazil south into eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (e.g., Misiones). It favors humid forest, gallery woods, and thickets along streams, marshy edges, and forested swamps. Birds stay close to dense cover, using tangles, bamboo, and understory to move and forage. It tolerates secondary growth and forest edges if water and cover are present. Human-altered areas are used when adjacent to intact riparian vegetation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Often heard more than seen, the slaty-breasted wood rail delivers loud, far-carrying duets at dawn and dusk. It prefers to run swiftly through dense understory rather than fly, flushing only when pressed. This rail keeps close to streams and wetlands inside forest, where it forages in leaf litter and at muddy edges.
Temperament
secretive but vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier that prefers to run
Social Behavior
Typically found singly or in pairs that maintain territories year-round. Pairs perform loud duets, especially at dawn and dusk, reinforcing pair bonds and territory. Nests are usually placed low over water or in dense vegetation, and both sexes share incubation and chick care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is a loud, resonant series of hoots, grunts, and yelping notes given in duets that carry far through forest. Calls can accelerate into excited, barking sequences when agitated.
Plumage
Slaty-gray breast and neck contrasting with olive-brown upperparts; warm rufous tones on belly and flanks; darker tail. Plumage is smooth and fairly uniform, with subtle blending between gray and brown areas.
Diet
Omnivorous, taking insects, snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates, as well as small amphibians and the occasional small vertebrate. Also consumes seeds, fallen fruits, and plant material gleaned from the forest floor. Forages by probing leaf litter and soft mud, sometimes turning leaves with the bill. Opportunistic around stream edges and seepage zones where prey concentrates.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along shaded streambanks, muddy edges, and in damp leaf litter within dense forest understory. Will forage at forest edges and along trails if cover is nearby, retreating quickly into thickets when disturbed.
