plain-flanked rail
{{short description|Species of bird}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{speciesbox
| image =
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Rallus
| species = wetmorei
| authority = Zimmer & Phelps, 1944
| synonyms =
| range_map = Rallus wetmorei map.svg
}}
The plain-flanked rail (Rallus wetmorei) is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is endemic to Venezuela.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/flufftails/ |title=Finfoots, flufftails, rails, trumpeters, cranes, Limpkin |website=IOC World Bird List |version =v 12.2 |editor-last1=Gill |editor-first1= F. |editor-last2=Donsker|editor-first2=D.|editor-last3=Rasmussen |editor-first3=P. |date=August 2022 |access-date=August 9, 2022 }}HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip retrieved August 7, 2022
Taxonomy and systematics
The plain-flanked rail has been suggested to be conspecific with the mangrove rail (R. longirostris) but this treatment has not been accepted by major taxonomic systems because the two do not interbreed where their ranges overlap. The plain-flanked rail is monotypic.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
Description
The plain-flanked rail is about {{convert|33|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. It has a brown bill. The sexes are alike. Adults have dull gray-brown upperparts with darker centers to the feathers. They have a white loral streak on their gray-brown face and a whitish throat. Their underparts are brown with no barring.Taylor, B., P. F. D. Boesman, C. J. Sharpe, and E. de Juana (2020). Plain-flanked Rail (Rallus wetmorei), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.plfrai1.01 retrieved November 22, 2022
Distribution and habitat
Behavior
=Movement=
=Feeding=
Nothing is known about the plain-flanked rail's foraging behavior or diet. Both are assumed to be similar to those of the mangrove rail, which inhabits similar landscapes. That species has a very diverse diet that includes animal prey such as crustaceans (especially crabs and crayfish), molluscs, leeches, aquatic and terrestrial insects, fish, and amphibians. It also feeds on plant matter such as seeds, berries, and tubers, especially in winter.Taylor, B. and D. A. Christie (2020). Mangrove Rail (Rallus longirostris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.manrai1.01 retrieved November 22, 2022
=Breeding=
The plain-flanked rail's breeding season is not known in detail but includes both April and May. A few nests have been discovered; they were platforms of twigs and leaves placed on mangrove roots or in mangrove trees. Clutch sizes of four to seven eggs have been noted. Both members of a pair incubate the eggs. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known.
{{birdsong|url=https://xeno-canto.org/species/Rallus-wetmorei |species=plain-flanked rail}}
=Vocalization=
Status
The IUCN originally assessed the plain-flanked rail in 1988 as Threatened; from 1994 it has been classed as Endangered. It has a very small range and an estimated population of 50 to 200 mature individuals that is believed to be decreasing. Its mangrove habitat continues to be destroyed by development for tourism and what remains is also threatened by domestic and industrial pollution.