Water Rail
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Reedbeds, marshes.
Diet: Insects, snails, small fish.
Best time to spot: Pig-like squeals from cover.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Great White EgretRare · Marshes
- Bearded TitUncommon · Large reedbeds (E. England)
- Common CuckooUncommon · Reedbeds
- Common Reed WarblerUncommon · Reedbeds (summer)
- GadwallUncommon · Reservoirs
- Little EgretUncommon · Estuaries
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Water Rail sightings on the map