During a stroll along a marsh at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 24 February 2020, Erika noticed the cattails move. Out popped a Virginia Rail. This species is common, even abundant (albeit elusive), in freshwater marshes across the northern United States and southern Canada, They can be very hard to see—especially at the refuge where playing bird call recordings is forbidden. I was surprised at this bird’s coloration—it looked unlike any Virginia Rail I have ever seen. The breast seems remarkably rich chestnut. The gray face is oddly bordered by a pale, gray band. The flanks are much more finely barred than the flanks of other Virginia Rails. I was surprised when I researched this post, that no geographic variation is described in the ornithological literature. There are no recognized races in North America. The confusing field marks on this bird must fall within the normal range of coloration in Virginia Rails.
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