Mean egg thickness, 262 ± 21 microns, was not different from pre-1932 museum eggs measured (N=27, mean value of 271 ± 16 microns) and was not correlated with organochlorine content. Only 69 percent of clapper rail eggs whose viability could be assessed were viable. In fact, no Sora nests were ever found. Clapper Rail usually place their twig nests low in mangrove roots. difficulties discerning Clapper Rail nests be-cause Sora eggs are much smaller than Clapper Rail eggs, and their nests are structurally differ-ent (Taylor 1998). Clapper rails have salt glands due to which they are able to drink seawater. The female will lay up to 16 eggs per clutch, and the eggs hatch after 3-4 weeks of incubation. This secretive bird lives most of its life concealed in dense vegetation. There are accounts of more than 120 eggs being collected in a day by a single person. Clapper Rail nestlings are precocial, meaning they are able to walk and feed shortly after hatching. Clapper rails were once abundant; however, egg collecting and market hunting in the 1800s and early 1900s reduced rail populations significantly. When moving across the water Clapper rails carry their chicks on backs. Rail egg hatchability in north and south bay marshes was 65 percent and 70 percent respectively. The hatchlings are covered in black down and are able to leave the nests within one day. King Rails may interbreed with Clapper Rails in the southeast (Meanley 1985); however, no egg … Both parents feed and guard the young until they are independent. Averages 6 to 9 eggs Fledging Duration Approximately 21 days Sexual Maturity Approximately 1 year Life Span Approximately 2 to 4 years; light-footed clapper rails at SeaWorld have lived for up to 10 years. Calls / Vocalizations / Sounds There are accounts of more than 120 eggs being collected in a day by a single person. Range Found along the California coastline from Santa Barbara to the California-Mexico Border and into northern Baja California, Mexico. Light-footed clapper rail eggs that failed to hatch, composite samples of live shore crabs (Pachygrapsus crassipes ), and composite samples of surficial sediments ( < 5 em deep) were collected in active rail breeding territories to assess contaminant . In 2014, the species was split into three: Clapper Rail; Ridgway's Rail of California, Arizona, and Nevada; and Mangrove Rail of South America. The average clutch consists of 3 - 7 eggs. Clapper rails were once abundant; however, egg collecting and market hunting in the 1800s and early 1900s reduced rail populations significantly. Now, thanks to modern game laws, eggs cannot be … There are accounts of more than 120 eggs being collected in a day by a single person. Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris A raucous chock-chock-chock… or a fleeting glimpse of a gray and brown ... Clapper rails were once abundant; however, egg collecting and market hunting in the 1800s and early 1900s reduced rail populations significantly. Now, Only 45 percent of the nests successfully hatched at least one egg. After just one day of care from the parents, the puffy, black nestlings are ready to leave the nest and learn the ways of their new marsh habitat. The eggs are cream-colored with purplish spots. About a week after hatching the Clapper rail pair divides their brood and each parent looks after half the offspring. The large Clapper Rail is abundant in saltwater marshes and mangrove swamps from the U.S. East Coast to Central America and the Caribbean. In 1992, 11 California clapper rail eggs were collected from south San Francisco Bay, California (Schwarzbach et al., 2001).