Water Rail
Water RailWater RailWater RailWater Rail

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Bavarian Forest National Park
21 Verified records at Bavarian Forest National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Water Rail sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Bavarian Forest National Park

Eurasian Coot
LC

Eurasian Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica atra

10–20% · With luck
Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

10–20% · With luck
Corn Crake
LC

Corn Crake

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Crex crex

<5% · Rare
Common Crane
LC

Common Crane

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Grus grus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ 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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Water Rail in Bavarian Forest National Park?

About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Water Rail sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Water Rail in Bavarian Forest National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Water Rail in Bavarian Forest National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Bavarian Forest National Park