Birds Identified: Virginia Rail

You can search Google Images for images of this bird.

Virginia Rail has these characteristics:

• Walking, wading, running
  
• About same size as robin
  
• Smaller than robin
  
• Neck long
  
• Bill long, as long or longer than head
  
• Mostly brownish, or with many brown streaks or spots
  
• Rust color present
  
• Yellow or orange
  
• Underparts plain
  
• North summer (June through August)
  
• South summer (June through August)
  
• South winter (November through February)
  
• Marsh habitat
  
• On ground (walking, wading, running, hopping, or resting on ground)
  
• Zig zag flight (many irregular twists and turns)
  
• Jerks tail or body (repeated dipping of body, or flipping or pumping of tail)
  
• Staccato and twitter call (short sharp notes or rapid series of notes: tinkling, trilling, sputtering, or percussive)
  

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