Species

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Justification
This species is listed as Endangered because it is recently known from only three locations, and has a very small known population and range, which are presumed to be undergoing continuing and rapid declines owing to coastal development. There are recent records, and surveys are urgently required to develop appropriate conservation measures.

Taxonomic source(s)
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Identification
24-27 cm. Medium-sized, predominantly brown rail. Olive-brown crown. Pale fawn supercilium. Dark grey lores. Rest of face dull buffy-brown. Buffy-brown upperparts and tail, streaked blackish-brown. More uniform upperwing-coverts. Dark brown remiges. Whitish-buff chin. Buff throat. Buffy-brown and unstreaked underparts. More pinkish-buff lower belly and sometimes whitish undertail-coverts. Reddish-brown iris. Relatively straight and slender, dark olive bill, with paler brown base to lower mandible. Olive-brown legs. Similar spp. Clapper Rail R. longirostris is larger with grey on neck and barred underparts. Virginia Rail R. limicola has grey on the neck, barred underparts, rufous wing-coverts and red on bill. Voice Undescribed.

Distribution and population
Rallus wetmorei is restricted to a small stretch of the north coast of Venezuela, where it is known from, at most, nine localities - and only three in recent years - in east Falcón, north Carabobo and Aragua. It is extremely rare and very poorly known, but was probably at least locally common when discovered: 11 specimens were collected at Puerto Cabello/San Esteban in 1944-1945, and 11 at Tucacas in May 1951. It persists at Tucacas where at least six pairs were found in June 1999 (R. S. Ridgely in litt. 1999) and on the Morrocoy Peninsula where there have been regular sightings since 1999 (C. J. Sharpe in litt. 2011). The only other record for Falcón since the 1950s was an unconfirmed record at Cuare Faunal Refuge in 1986. In Carabobo, there are apparently recent sightings from Patanemo (Ascanio et al. 2008), 10 km east of Puerto Cabello. In Aragua, the most recent records are of a pair at Playa de Cata, 15 km east of La Ciénaga, in April 1991 (A. Fernández Badillo in litt. 1992), and a pair at Henri Pittier National Park in 1991 and 1993 (A. Fernandez Badillo per A. Lentino in litt. 1994). An observation of a bird at Las Peonias Lagoon near Maracaibo, Zulia in August 2000 (J. Colvée, cited in World Birdwatch 2001. 23(2):5) would be a significant range extension requiring verification.

Population justification
The population is assumed to fall in the band 50-249 individuals, based on a paucity of recent records and the restricted number of known localities. This equates to 33-166 mature individuals, placed here in the band 50-200 mature individuals. For the sites where there are recent records (i.e. since its initial collection in the 1940s-1950s), the population is estimated to be at least 20 pairs in the Morrocoy-Tucacas area of Falcón and 15 in Patanemo, Carabobo. Verification of this estimate is desirable.

Trend justification
This species' population is suspected to be rapidly decreasing as its mangrove habitat is lost or degraded due to coastal housing, touristic and industrial developments, pollution from domestic sewage and agricultural run-off, sedimentation and the restriction of water flow by road-building.

Ecology
It is apparently sedentary in coastal mangroves, and shallow saltwater or seasonally flooded brackish lagoons and marshes with emergent and halophytic vegetation dominated by saltwort Batis maritima. A breeding condition female was collected in April, a male taken in May had enlarged testes, and a bird collected in September was apparently a juvenile, suggesting a breeding season beginning in April or May.

Threats
Mangrove habitats are being destroyed to make way for housing and hotel developments, and construction of marinas for pleasure boats. The Cuare Faunal Refuge is threatened by squatters, hotel developments, tourism, illegal hunting, pollution from domestic sewage, pesticides and mercury, a proposed golf course and the restriction of water flow by road-building. Development projects threaten the coastal wetlands of San Esteban and Henri Pittier National Park. The Playa de Cata lagoon has been closed off from the sea by a dyke to facilitate the development of the beach for tourism.


Conservation actions underway
Cuare Faunal Refuge is a Ramsar site (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Significant mangrove areas remain in Henri Pittier and Morrocoy National Parks (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995, C. J. Sharpe, J. P. Rodríguez and F. Rojas-Suárez in litt. 1999). This species was considered Endangered in the Venezuela Red Data Book (Sharpe 2008) and amongst the four highest priority bird species for conservation in Venezuela (Rodríguez et al. 2004).

Conservation actions proposed
Survey to establish its current distribution (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Re-enforce management plans at Cuare Faunal Refuge (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995). Control tourism developments at Playa de Cata (Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 1995).

References
Collar, N. J.; Gonzaga, L. P.; Krabbe, N.; Madroño Nieto, A.; Naranjo, L. G.; Parker, T. A.; Wege, D. C. 1992. Threatened birds of the Americas: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K.

Rodríguez, J. P.; Rojas-Suárez, F. 1995. Libro Rojo de la fauna Venezolana. Provita, Caracas.

Taylor, B.; van Perlo, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.

Anon. 2001. New site for Plain-flanked Rail. World Birdwatch 23(2): 5.

Further web sources of information
Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species/site profile. This species has been identified as an AZE trigger due to its IUCN Red List status and limited range.

Click here for more information about the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE)

Detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoa y la categora de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicacin.

View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Capper, D., Pilgrim, J., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A.

Contributors
Fernandez Badillo, A., Lentino, A., Ridgely, R., Rodríguez, J., Rojas-Suárez, F., Sharpe, C J

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Rallus wetmorei. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Additional resources for this species

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