The largest of the rails found in Iowa, the King Rail is also the least known. It inhabits thick stands of emergent vegetation but is vey secretive and seldom moves out of that habitat to where it can be seen. At one time, King Rails were fairly common in Iowa’s wetlands but in the last several decades they seem to have largely disappeared and few have been reported in recent years. Presumably some still survive but we know little about them. It is listed as endangered in Iowa. Habitat loss and perhaps problems on their wintering grounds in southern United States have been suggested as possible explanations for this decline in numbers. King Rails are best detected by listening for their distinct series of “kek kek” call notes.
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indicates a designated IBA.