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Posted by Rafael A. Galvez on 15:45:02 01/12/10
In Reply to: Re: Coot Bay/Everglades National Park CBC Results posted by Judd Patterson
Clapper Rails are best identified by ear than sight anywhere along the Florida Bay, particularly at sunrise and sundown.
We (the FL Bay CBCBC Team) round up the 27 individuals from various keys on the bay, and primarily from West Clubhouse, which is probably the most reliable place anywhere in the park to hear them (and if you are persistent - see them).
At sundown, Clapper Rails are very vocal at this site, pumping-out their calls in unison from various concealed locations within the Batis prairies - at times over a dozen birds calling at once.
Due to the short window of time Clappers prefer to be audible it is easy to underestimate their presence, but considering the great extent of suitable habitat (mangroves and coastal prairie) for our specialized resident subspecies - Mangrove Clapper (R.l.insularum) and Florida Clapper (R.l.scotii) - and adding wintering Clappers from elsewhere in the state - 27 Clapper Rails for the CBCBC is most likely only a small fraction of a great population found in winter in ENP.
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