Some Vocalizations of the Black, Yellow, and Virginia Rails

AMONG the most challenging problems in tape-recording wildlife sounds is the study of nocturnal vocalizations of rails. New information is continually being found and there is little chance that the complete vocal repertoire of any rail is known. This is to summarize my current knowledge of certain songs (or calls) of the Black Rail (Laterallus ]amaicensis), Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis), and Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola ) . MALE BLACK RAIL The song of the male Black Rail has not been generally known and only in recent years have field guides described it correctly, e.g. Robbins et al. (1966). The first sound recordings were made available as a record by Kellogg et al. (1962). The song is distinctive. The commonest rendition heard here in the middle-Atlantic states is a three-sound phrase, with the first two clearly higher in pitch than the last. The first sounds carry better and, under windy or noisy conditions, the last part may be inaudible. Although the first parts sound to the ear as simple notes, audiospectrograms (Fig. 1A, 1 B) and Kellogg (1962) show some slurring or change in pitch. The last sound is much different in quality, is of more complex form, and resembles a scold or disturbance call. The speed of delivery of the phrase during natural singing periods varies considerably between individuals, ranging in cadence from about 3 to 6 sec. A number of minor variations in the song itself are heard, including phrases with one or with three introductory sounds, instead of the commoner two. The final sound is occasionally given twice or rarely three or more times, and in the last case it resembles disturbance calls given when the individual is approached closely. Limited studies of individual differences in the initial pitch of the song show a range from approximately 1200 Hz to approximately 3400 Hz (Fig. 1A, lB) and Kellogg (1962). Verbal phraseology of the song of the male includes some imaginative coined descriptions. Gosse (1847) included three renditions used by residents of Jamaica, "Cacky-quaw, .... Johnny Ho," and "Kitty Go." W. T. March in New England used the expression, reported by Forbush (19'25), "Chi-chi-croo-croo," matching one of the song types heard in the present studies. T. E. McMullen in New Jersey (Bent 1926) referred to the call or song as "did-ee-dunk." Kellogg (1962) paraphrased two songs as "Kic-