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New
Species for Dutchess County:
Clapper Rail
by
Stan DeOrsey
If you know Clapper Rails are only found in salt marshes and
never inland, or suspect any local Clapper Rail is more likely
a King Rail, then you are not alone. This should be a highly
doubtful sighting, unless it was heard by someone who really knew
their
calls. And it is
February, when was the bird found? Read on.
Clapper Rails are found
along the seacoast from southern New England to Texas, also along
the Pacific coast. Only the northern population is migratory,
although
a few are found on Long Island Christmas
Counts. In the Northeast they breed in a limited number of salt marshes
along the Connecticut shore and on Long Island. The only record along the
Hudson
River
is a pair which bred at Piermont, Rockland County in 1959.
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This Clapper Rail was found on
August 30, 2004 at Baird State Park, near the office by the
west entrance, so this "announcement" is a bit
old. But this is very far inland, and it is certainly
not near salt marshes. The rail was found by Jude Holdsworth,
an Americorps member and turtle expert who spoke at a club
meeting in 2003. She found it at her feet. It
was dead. Too bad, but now we have the skin and you
can always identify a bird in the hand, right?
Hats off to Jude for having the presence to pick up the
specimen, save it, and pursue identification. After
doing a bit of research, and having pictures taken, she
notified a number of people. The prevailing view
based on the photos was that she had found a King Rail. People
at Cornell University became interested and the skin is
now at the Laboratory of Ornithology to be properly preserved
and retained. Kevin McGowan, from Cornell, says, "I'm
certain it’s a Clapper Rail. I'm just not sure
of age yet." So, we should learn a bit more
in time.
Remnants of Hurricane Charley tracked along the Atlantic
Coast passing over Long Island on August 15, which may
have pushed the rail inland, but we do not really know. Nor
is it known how the bird died. At first there was
speculation that it was killed by a lawnmower, but that
is unlikely, the skin is not mutilated as a lawnmower might
do.
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As implied at the beginning,
inland sightings are of dubious value. A specimen is required,
and we have that. We do know that this is the furthest inland
that any specimen has been obtained from New York or elsewhere in the
Northeast.
Pictures of the bird (shown here) and a synopsis of the sighting
were first posted on this website on 12/10/04 (see our Hotline
Archive page and click on Clapper Rail). Another new bird
for Dutchess County.
Wings
Over Dutchess, February
2005
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