The Yuma Ridgway’s Rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis), a subspecies of the Ridgway’s Rail, is a brown marsh bird about the size of a chicken. It is typically secretive and rarely seen, most usually know if the bird is around when it vocalizes—letting off a repetitive, sharp clapping.
The Yuma Ridgway’s Rail is a federally endangered species found in the marshes of the lower Colorado River, the Salton Sea in California, the Ciénega de Santa Clara in Sonora, Mexico, and the Gila River in Arizona. They prefer younger stands of cattail and bulrush, and eat crayfish, freshwater clams, and other invertebrates.
As farm fields are converted to housing and water is diverted from rivers, marsh habitat is disappearing—and so is the rail.
Audubon Southwest is working to raise awareness about the Yuma Ridgway’s Rail, and to protect it and the habitat it relies on through advocacy, science, and supporting on-the-ground conservation.
