All birds/Rallidae/Black Rail
AI reconstruction of Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)AI

AI reconstruction created with Nano Banana 2 · 1K, grounded in the profile’s documented taxonomy, habitat, natural-history sources, and an open-license visual reference when available. It is an interpretive image, not documentary evidence. Image policy

PRB-0082Gruiformes

Black Rail

Gallito Negro

Laterallus jamaicensis

Accidental / vagrantIUCN EN · Endangered

The black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) is a mouse-sized member of the rail family Rallidae that occurs in both North and South America. It is the smallest rail present in North America and is known for its secretive nature.

FamilyRallidaeRails, Gallinules, and Coots
Puerto Rico occurrenceAccidental / vagrantAvibase inferred core 380
Primary habitatwetlandsWetland
Primary dietInvertebrateAquatic predator
Average mass32.96666666666667 gGlobal trait estimate
MovementMigratory; Long-distance dispersal; Sedentary / residentTerrestrial

Sound archive

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Explore real songs and calls. The spectrogram turns each sound into a visual trace of time and frequency.

XC1080643Recording 1 of 3call
Spectrogram of Black Rail: call
SpectrogramLaterallus jamaicensis

Play: call by Paul Lenrumé

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Sound recorded by Paul Lenrumé · XC1080643 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Visualization by Stichting Xeno-canto voor Natuurgeluiden.

Every recording retains the creator, catalogue number, and license published by Xeno-canto. Metadata via GBIF

Island profile

Catalog scopeAvibase inferred core 380

About the Black Rail

The black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) is a mouse-sized member of the rail family Rallidae that occurs in both North and South America. It is the smallest rail present in North America and is known for its secretive nature.

Conservation

Endangered

IUCN EN

Global IUCN
EN
Puerto Rico DNER
No current listing in source crosswalk
Federal ESA
No current listing in source crosswalk
Critical habitat
Not identified in source crosswalk

Natural history

How it lives

Habitat
wetlands
Elevation
0–4100 m
Nest
Cup / bowl · Ground; Grass
Clutch
4–13 eggs
Social behavior
Not resolved

Keep exploring

This bird belongs to 7 paths through the atlas.

Evidence trail

Sources, media & further reading