King Rail

The southern portion of the Celery Fields contains a large fresh water impoundment that is rich in avifauna. Along Raymond Road a boardwalk leads to a great shaded viewing platform, where we saw the Least Bitterns. Near the beginning of the boardwalk, rather close to the road, a pair of King Rails are apparently nesting right below the boardwalk, sometimes venturing out in the morning. We were lucky enough to see them once, if only briefly. First shot with our new "super-zoom" Canon SX50:

Note the bold barred pattern on the flank and lower abdomen, which suggests that this is the male King Rail, which also has more rufous coloration on the head and neck. Our Ridgway's Rail is similar in appearance, but with less bold barred markings. 

Here's the shot taken through the scope with the Nikon V1 camera, 18.5mm lens:

The King Rail is a denizen of fresh water marshes,. whereas Clapper and Rigway's Rails prefer saltmarsh habitat. Just as our Ridway's Rail was split from Clapper, they decided that the King Rails in Mexico deserve full species status, with the split creating the Aztec Rail in Mexico.

The King Rail is the largest rail in North America.