Sakalava rail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sakalava rail |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Zapornia
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| Species: |
olivieri
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| Distribution of the Sakalava rail | |
The Sakalava rail (Zapornia olivieri) is a special bird that belongs to the Rallidae family. It lives only in western Madagascar, an island country off the coast of Africa. This small bird has brown feathers on its back and grey feathers underneath. It has a yellow beak and red legs.
The Sakalava rail makes its home in freshwater marshes. These are wet, grassy areas with lots of water and tall reeds. Sadly, this bird is listed as an Endangered animal. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever. Its biggest threat is habitat loss, which happens when its wetland homes in Madagascar are destroyed.
Contents
What the Sakalava Rail Looks Like
The Sakalava rail is about 19 centimeters (about 7.5 inches) long. It has grey feathers on its belly, a bright yellow beak, and red eyes.
Male and female Sakalava rails look a little different. This is called sexual dimorphism. Males are usually smaller and thinner. They have reddish-brown feathers on their backs and bright red legs. Females are a bit larger. They have brownish-green feathers on their backs and pale pink legs. Young Sakalava rails look very much like the adult females.
Where the Sakalava Rail Lives
Sakalava rails live in marshes. These marshes have open water areas and thick patches of reeds, especially a plant called Phragmites mauritianus.
These wet areas also have many other floating plants. You might see native ferns like (Salvinia) or beautiful water lilies such as Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea nouchali. Sometimes, there are also invasive plants like water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes).
Where They Are Found
The Sakalava rail lives in only a few places in Madagascar. Its population is small and spread out. Historically, these birds were found between the Mahavavy Sud River in the north and the Mangoky River in the south.
Surveys done between 2003 and 2006 estimated there were about 215 Sakalava rails. The largest group found was 62 birds. During this study, they were seen in five main spots: Lake Kinkony, Ampandra, Amparihy, Sahapy, and Mandrozo. In 2021, experts estimated that there are between 250 and 999 adult birds left. Even though few observations have been made, it is believed that their numbers are still going down.
Behavior and Daily Life
Sakalava rails are usually found alone or in pairs. They walk slowly over floating plants. They use their beaks to turn over ferns to find food. If they get scared, they run and might fly a short distance to hide in thick plants.
Other birds sometimes hunt Sakalava rails. These include the yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) and the Madagascar coucal (Centropus toulou).
The busiest time for Sakalava rails to have babies is from September to November. However, there is some evidence that they might breed all year round. Young birds and active nests have been seen during the wet season in February and March.
Both male and female Sakalava rails help raise their young. They work together to build the nest, sit on the eggs, and feed the chicks. No one has seen other birds helping the parents raise their babies.
Sounds They Make
Sakalava rails make many different sounds. They often make a "tic–tic" or "tic-tic-tic huaw" call while flicking their tail. They also talk to their partner by making a "truwruru" sound every 4 to 6 seconds while standing still.
Before mating, both males and females stand next to each other. They both make a loud "prourourou" sound at the same time. Baby chicks also make a loud "kiouw" sound every 3 to 5 seconds.
What They Eat
More than half of the Sakalava rail's diet is made up of spiders. The rest of their food includes insects, crustaceans (like small crabs), and molluscs (like snails). They find all these tasty treats under floating plants.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
To find a mate, the male Sakalava rail performs a special dance. First, the male leads the female to possible nest spots. He calls loudly to invite her to check out the site. Then, he brings materials and starts building a nest. If the female likes the spot, she immediately helps build the nest. If she doesn't like it, she won't help. This makes the male move to another spot and try again until he finds a good place.
A pair of Sakalava rails builds a new nest each breeding season. Both the male and female help build it. They usually finish the nest in about three days. The nest is made of dead Phragmites reeds. It is built 50 to 70 centimeters (about 20 to 28 inches) above the water. The nest can be on floating plants or hidden deep inside a tunnel of leaves.
Both the female and male Sakalava rail sit on the eggs. The egg incubation period usually lasts 16 days. Eggs are laid from July to September. A female usually lays 2 or 3 eggs. They are pale cream with brown spots. Both parents feed the fluffy black chicks until they are 40 days old. After that, the adults stop feeding them and start chasing the chicks out of the nest. By 45 days old, the chicks can take care of themselves and leave the nest.
Why They Are Endangered
The Sakalava rail is classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. This is because the wetlands in Madagascar, where they live, are being destroyed.
Losing their habitat is a big problem for these birds. The edges of the marshes where Sakalava rails nest are being turned into rice fields. People also disturb their homes by burning and collecting Phragmites reeds. In fact, the area covered by reeds has shrunk by 80% between 1949 and 2008. This is partly due to more dirt in the water from erosion.
These wetlands in western Madagascar are also home to five other endangered bird species: the Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides), the Madagascar heron (Ardea humbloti), the Madagascar sacred ibis (Threskiornis bernieri), the Madagascar teal (Anas bernieri), and the Madagascar plover (Charadrius thoracicus).
Good news! People are working to protect these areas. They are creating protected zones to save these important wetlands and their rare bird species.
