Water Rail
Water RailWater RailWater RailWater Rail

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Aigüestortes National Park
2 Verified records at Aigüestortes National Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Aigüestortes National Park

Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

<5% · Rare
Eurasian Coot
LC

Eurasian Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica atra

Insufficient data
Common Crane
LC

Common Crane

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Grus grus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Water Rail at Aigüestortes National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
30–40%
2 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
3 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
4 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
10–20%
5 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
10–20%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
7 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
8 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
9 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
10 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
11 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
12 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
13 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
14 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
15 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
16 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
17 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
18 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
19 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
20 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
Insufficient data
21 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
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