Figure 1. Photo taken from a hide, in poor light, at 7 m distance; ISO 800, exposure time 1/25 sec (!), 2.8f.
Little Wood-Rails normally stay hidden in dense vegetation, and are therefore difficult to observe. But sometimes, they come out of their cover to sing, like the bird on the photo. I made the picture an instant after it terminated its song.
Another Wood-Rail species, the Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea, known as "Saracura" or "Sericoia", also occurs here. Talking to a local hunter, I noted that he was well aware of the existence of these two Wood-Rail species in our region. The birds are certainly at risk, because they are edible, and because their song attracts attention.
To top of pageNotes about the Little Wood-Rail (Aramides mangle)
In the following, a few brief comments about some aspects of the biology of A. mangle. A more detailed account of the vocalizations and habitat preferences of this species has been submitted for publication.
Morphology
The photo above shows the details necessary for identification of the species. In particular, the chin and the superior part of the foreneck, are light gray or white. The remainder of the foreneck and the breast are rufous. Crown, sides of head, and hindneck are gray. See Sharpe 1894, Sick 1997, and Mata et al. 2006, p. 162/163.
A characteristic not apparent in the figure of Mata et al. 2006 is the striking red-orange coloring of the proximal part of the maxilla.
Vocalizations
My interest in the voice of Aramides mangle came from a discussion in the forum of xeno-canto.From January to March 2009 (first half of rainy season), in Reserva Ecológica Mãe-da-Lua, I heard and recorded sounds of the Little Wood-Rail on several occasions. Here is an example of a solo song.
Systematics
The songs of the Little Wood-Rail are very similar to those of the Rufous-necked Wood-Rail Aramides axillaris. Listen to this example in xeno-canto. Therefore, it has been suggested in the forum of xeno-canto, that the two taxa may actually be part of the same superspecies (P. Boesman). It would be interesting to know whether the ranges of A. axillaris and A. mangle are really disjunct, and whether intermediate forms can be found. See distribution maps in Mata et al. 2006.Habitat and Distribution
The Little Wood-Rail is known to inhabit coastal mangroves and closeby forests, and one of its Brazilian names is "Saracura-da-praia", which means "Beach Woodrail" (Sick 1997). However, the species also occurs further inland (Meyer de Schauensee 1970). In Reserva Ecológica Mãe-da-Lua, about 40 km from the coast, the Little Wood-Rail lives in dense lowland Caatinga vegetation, not necessarily close to water. The bird on the photo was observed about 300 meters away from the next water hole, in arboreal Caatinga.Migration
I am not certain whether the Little Wood-Rails stay in the Reserve the whole year, or whether they leave during the dry season. However, the absence of vocalizations during the dry season does not necessarily indicate that the birds have left.
A Little Wood-Rail did fly one night against the Hotel Simon in Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro. This suggests that Little Wood-Rails undertake local migrations. There are similar observations for the closely related Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea (Sick 1997).