Water Rail Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements
The water rail is one of the most elusive birds found in UK wetlands. They are so secretive and elusive that many people think they are under threat of extinction. However, there are currently an estimated 4,000 breeding pairs resident in the UK with more than twice or even three times that number wintering in the British Isles as Northern European populations fly to the UK to overwinter.
In this article we’ll look at the dietary and breeding habits as well as the size and weight of these fascinating waterbirds. Keep reading to find out more.
Table of Contents
The Dietary Habits Of The Water Rail
Water rails are omnivorous but their diet is mainly made up from animal sources. Let’s take a closer look at what water rails eat as well as what they feed their young.
What Does A Water Rail Eat?
The diet of the water rail consists mainly of leeches, worms, small crustaceans, slugs, snails, spiders and a huge range of both aquatic and terrestrial insects and their larvae. They will also eat small amphibians, fish, birds and even small mammals and dead animal flesh.
They will eat some plant food typically during the autumn and winter months which include; the shoots, seeds, flowers and buds of water plants as well as berries and fruit and in Asia, they are known to eat rice kernels as well.
Although primarily a waterbird, the water rail often jumps to take insects from plants, they can also climb tall plants to take berries and dislodge fruit like apples. Added to which they will steal eggs and young chicks from the nests of other birds.
They are known to impale small birds on their long pointed beaks and sometimes even drown their prey. Although not particularly aggressive birds, water rails can be enthusiastic hunters and foragers which enables them to find food in areas where other birds might fail.
This adaptability when searching for food and their varied diet has been a contributing factor to their rising population and successful breeding.
What To Feed A Baby Water Rail?
Both parents are very attentive and take turns bringing food back to the nest to feed to their chicks. They feed their chicks a varied protein rich diet which consists of; insects both terrestrial and aquatic including beetles, flies and their larvae.
They will also bring their young worms and aquatic invertebrates like snails, molluscs and small crustaceans along with small fish and amphibians that are regurgitated before being given to the young chicks.
As the chicks grow and develop, the parents will incorporate plant materials and seeds as well as small pieces of fruit into the chicks diet. Once the chicks are old enough, the parents will show the chicks where and how to forage for food sources.
If you were to find an abandoned water rail nest with chicks in it, you should contact an organisation like the RSPB who will have the experience and know how to look after orphaned chicks. However, it is not advisable to approach the nest as the parents might be present but just out of sight.
You should only approach the nest if you have been observing it for some time and have noticed a lack of parental activity.
Breeding Habits Of Water Rails
During the breeding season the male water rail will start posturing with raised back feathers and their wings arched over their backs. Their tails are typically spread out and their bill will be pointed vertically downwards.
This display will be accompanied by loud calling and once paired up, the pair will give contact calls all through the breeding period. The male will bring food to the female during these courtship displays to show her he is a good hunter/forager and to exhibit his skills in providing for her and her young chicks.
Do Water Rails Mate For Life?
Whilst water rails do not necessarily mate for life, they do stay in monogamous relationships for each breeding season. Once the breeding season is over, the pairs will often split up and go their separate ways.
Many pairs will reunite the following year during the breeding season and form another monogamous breeding relationship. However, this is not typical and many mates never join up again and often find different mates every year.
The Size & Weight Of Water Rails
Let’s take a look at the size and weight of water rails for the purposes of identification.
How Much Does A Water Rail Weigh?
The weight of the water rail varies between 80 to 180 grams with males typically weighing more than females. The average weight of an adult female water rail is around 90 to 105 grams.
The sexes are very similar and trying to determine the sex of the water rail just by weight and size is not very accurate.
How Big Is A Water Rail?
Water rails have a wingspan of between 38 to 45 cm and a body length of around 23 to 28 cm. Which is similar in length to the snipe.
Again, the female is typically smaller than the male. An interesting fact about water rails is that their long pointed red beak accounts for between 50 to 58% of the overall size of their head.
Are Water Rails Under Threat?
Water rails are not currently considered to be under threat worldwide but they do face a number of pressures that could have an impact on their numbers. In the UK they are Green listed by the UK Birds of Conservation Concern.
Whilst elsewhere they are considered to be birds of least concern by the Species of European Conservation Concern (SECC) as well as the IUCN red list of threatened species. With that said, there are certain threats that could affect worldwide numbers of water rails which include;
- Habitat Loss
The main threats to the desired habitat of the water rail are pollution from agricultural runoff, industrial activities and urban waste. Plus wetland drainage for urban development. - Climate Change
A change in temperatures can affect the distribution of water rails as well as the availability of food sources. Plus rising water levels can impact the availability and quality of wetland habitats. - Human Activity
An increase in human activity in wetland areas whether for recreation or development can disturb water rails as well as disrupting their breeding and feeding. - Predation
Many water rails eggs and chicks are lost every year due to predators. - Diseases
Water rails can be infected with the avian influenza virus as well as other bacterial diseases including Lyme disease and parasitic worms.
What Eats A Water Rail?
Apart from the usual nest raids by other water rails nesting nearby, many water rail eggs and chicks are lost to otters, rats, cats and dogs. This is particularly prevalent during the early breeding period before the chicks are mobile enough to escape the clutches of would-be predators.
Water rails are also at threat from hawks, owls, kestrels, eagles and peregrine falcons.
Where Can I See Water Rails In The UK?
Water rails can be seen throughout most wetland areas of the UK but are hard to spot as they are so elusive and secretive. You’re most likely to see water rails in eastern and southern England although they can be spotted in many wetland areas all across the UK and Ireland.
Water rails will be easier to spot during winter months when food supplies are not so abundant. They are typically observed at dawn and dusk. Some of the UK sites best known for spotting water rails include;
- The Norfolk Broads
- The Somerset Levels
- The London Wetland Centre
- Cley Marshes (Norfolk)
- WWT Slimbridge (Gloucestershire)
- RSPB Minsmere (Suffolk)
- RSPB Leighton Moss (Lancashire)
- RSPB Rainham Marshes (Essex)
- Rutland Water (Rutland)
- Farlington Marshes (Hampshire)
To successfully spot water rails you will need to be quiet, patient and use either a decent pair of binoculars or a spotting scope. It’s also a good idea to become familiar with the call of the water rail which has been described in the past as pig-like.
SEE ALSO: Woodlark Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
Frequently Asked Questions
Although there are an estimated 4,000 breeding pairs of water rails in the UK, they are rarely sighted as they are a very secretive and elusive bird.
Water rails prefer wetlands as well as vegetated areas along the edges of rivers, ponds and marshland. In the UK they are often seen in southern coastal areas and along the fenlands of East Anglia.
There is a bird called a rail. They are small to medium sized semi aquatic birds often found in wetlands and marshlands. They are a large genus which include water rails, coots, crakes and moorhens.
