Clapper Rail
Rallus crepitans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
- GenusRallus (Typical Rails)
- SpeciesRallus crepitans (Clapper Rail)
The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans) is a member of the rail family, Rallidae. The taxonomy for this species is confusing and still being determined. It is a large brown rail that is resident in wetlands along the Atlantic coasts of the eastern United States, eastern Mexico and some Caribbean islands. This species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the mangrove rail. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Clapper Rail sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Everglades National Park
King Rail
Rallus elegans
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
American Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
American Coot
Fulica americana
Sora
Porzana carolina
Western Swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
Yellow Rail
Coturnicops noveboracensis
Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 2 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 9 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Clapper Rail in Everglades National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Clapper Rail sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Clapper Rail in Everglades National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Clapper Rail in Everglades National Park in our monthly data.