Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
CA: Threatened, CA Special Concern
California Threatened species
Secretive, rusty-brown rail with long bill and red eyes. Bay Area wetland bird; insectivore of marsh invertebrates; indicator of healthy wetland habitat.
Plants that support Virginia Rail
4 plants
Brownhead Rush
Juncus phaeocephalus var. phaeocephalus
perennial herb
nesting season diet; uses dense rush stands for cover and nesting substrate in wetland margins
Bay Area native
Creeping Spikerush
Eleocharis macrostachya
grass
forages in shallow marshes for seeds and invertebrates associated with Eleocharis beds
Bay Area native
Hairy Water Clover
Marsilea vestita
perennial herb
grazes on water clover fronds in California wetlands; resident and migratory populations
Bay Area native
Small-fruited bulrush
Scirpus microcarpus
perennial herb
breeding season nesting and foraging cover in bulrush marshes
Bay Area native