{"id":23993,"date":"2021-01-20T19:48:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T10:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=23993"},"modified":"2021-01-20T20:24:04","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T11:24:04","slug":"western-water-rail-rallus-indicus-incheon-january-2021-notes-on-identification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=23993","title":{"rendered":"Western Water Rail Rallus aquaticus: Incheon, January 2021. Notes on Identification."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr Nial Moores, January 20th<\/sup> 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2020, Lee Jae-heung found a Western Water Rail<\/strong> Rallus aquaticus<\/em><\/a>, presumably of eastern subspecies korejewi<\/em>, wintering in a semi-urban stream in northern Incheon.  Once the news went public in January, the bird was seen and photographed by perhaps hundreds of birders and bird photographers \u2013 including several Birds Korea members. This record provides an excellent opportunity to build on our last ID note on this species<\/a>, posted back in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water rails in juvenile plumage might or might not be difficult to separate to species. However, based on personal field-impressions of both species and on a comparison of some wonderful images generously shared for this online note (with copyright retained by the photographers), at least from October Western Water Rail<\/strong> should be straightforward to separate from Eastern Water Rail<\/strong> Rallus indicus<\/em> (often called Brown-cheeked Rail), even in brief views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n