Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
- GenusRallus (Typical Rails)
- SpeciesRallus aquaticus (Water Rail)
The water rail, western water rail or European water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range. The adult is 23–28 cm (9–11 in) long, and, like other rails, has a body that is flattened laterally, allowing it easier passage through the reed beds it inhabits. It has mainly brown upperparts and blue-grey underparts, black barring on the flanks, long toes, a short tail and a long reddish bill. Immature birds are generally similar in appearance to the adults, but the blue-grey in the plumage is replaced by buff. The downy chicks are black, as with all rails. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Water Rail sighting in Kiskunság National Park, based on 209 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 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 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 8 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 15 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 17 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Hemis National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 21 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Water Rail in Kiskunság National Park?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Water Rail sighting in Kiskunság National Park, based on 209 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Water Rail in Kiskunság National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Water Rail in Kiskunság National Park in our monthly data.