Abstract
The Water Rail Rallus aquaticus is a little studied bird thought to be in decline throughout Britain and Ireland. Particular uncertainty surrounds the breeding biology because nests are difficult to locate. In this paper the 80 nest record cards (1946–96) held by the British Trust for Ornithology were analysed to describe the breeding biology in detail. Many of the cards consisted of a few observations only and rarely contained complete data on hatching and fledging success. Water Rail had a protracted breeding season (March–June) and laid large and variable clutches (mode 8 eggs, range 5–13). There was circumstantial and actual evidence for two broods per season. Clutch size increased with altitude and tended to be smaller early and late in the breeding season.
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