Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
Also known as: Western Water Rail, European Water Rail
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
111 g
About This Species
This is a skulking bird of dense reedbeds and marsh vegetation across Europe and Asia, far more often heard than seen, with a distinctive pig-like squealing call known as 'sharming' that carries well at dusk and dawn. Patience at the reed edge, especially near open channels or muddy margins where it sometimes ventures out to feed, offers the best chance of a view. Cold snaps in winter can push birds into the open at pond edges when ice covers their usual feeding areas.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watch from a stationary position at the reed margin rather than pushing into the vegetation, since this species will simply retreat deeper into cover if disturbed and you are unlikely to see it again that visit.
- Across its European and Asian range, disturbing nesting wetland birds or damaging reedbed habitat is restricted under various national wildlife laws, so treat reedbeds as sensitive habitat generally rather than relying on one country's specific rule.
- Avoid entering reedbeds during the breeding season.
Seasonal Activity
950,714 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 111 g
Photo
(c) Carles Pastor, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Carles Pastor
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.