Ridgway’s Rail
Rallus obsoletus
NTNear Threatened
- Family
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)
- Order
- Gruiformes
Overview
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus) is a species of bird found principally along the Pacific coast of North America from the San Francisco Bay Area to southern Baja California, as well as in some regions of the Gulf of California. A member of the rail family, Rallidae, it is a large cinnamon-brown rail that lives in brackish tidal marshes and rarely flies. Its name commemorates American ornithologist Robert Ridgway.
This species is closely related to the clapper rail, and until recently was considered a subspecies.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Ridgway's rail
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.