The Response of Water Rails (Rallus aquaticus) To the Playback of Conspecific and Heterospecific Calls

Abstract

ABSTRACT We studied the response of Water Rails (Rallus aquaticus) to conspecific and heterospecific playback to reveal any variation in reaction to playbacks of rail and crake and if and how these reactions change in intensity. Ten observation points, 100 m from each other within a reedbed, were selected. We made our observations three times a day over three days in three sessions (Apr, Jun, and Sept). We quantified the response of Water Rails to the playback of conspecifics and the heterospecifics: Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), Corn Crake (Crex crex), Little Crake (Porzana parva), Spotted Crake (P. porzana), and Baillon's Crake (P. pusilla), in terms of phenological periods. We found that there is a difference in aggressive reaction between conspecific and heterospecific playbacks across all sessions and also within each session. The aggressive reaction decreases significantly in the direction (Water Rail = Common Moorhen) > (Corn Crake = Little Crake = Spotted Crake) > (Baillon's Crake), during...