This past weekend, while birding in southern Delaware, Clapper Rails were very active and we saw them out in the open on a number of occasions throughout the day. In fact, saw a total of 19 Clapper Rails throughout our day trip! One of the reasons they were so active and easily seen was because a lot of pairs were taking care of chicks. The adults were scrambling to find food and also moving their young around, teaching them how to find food on their own. Below are some photos I took of an adult and one of its 5 chicks, as well as a short video that Jason Weller took of the same birds. I love seeing baby rails!
Clapper Rail chick at Prime Hook NWR (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
Clapper Rail adult at Prime Hook NWR (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)