# Water rail (*Rallus aquaticus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/water-rail  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is a small bird in the family Rallidae, order Gruiformes, also called the brown-cheeked rail, western water rail or European water rail. It is a carnivore and aquatic predator of wetland habitats that forages in a terrestrial stratum and is partially migratory. Adults weigh 110.7 g, with reported values from 98 to 127 g, and have a wingspan of 42 cm. The IUCN Red List assesses the water rail as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 98 g – 127 g |
| Length | 23 cm – 28 cm |
| Wingspan | 42 cm |
| Lifespan | 8.78 years |
| Diet | Aquatic predator |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 8.92 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland |
| Egg incubation | 20.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 8.1 – 8.5 |
| Age at maturity | 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 2 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Migration | Partial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Gruiformes
- family: Rallidae
- genus: Rallus
- species: *Rallus aquaticus* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Rallus aquaticus deserticolor*, *Rallus sericeus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the water rail?

The water rail is a bird in the family Rallidae and order Gruiformes. Its size class is small.

### How much does a water rail weigh?

An adult water rail weighs 110.7 g, with reported values from 98 to 127 g. Its wingspan is 42 cm.

### What does the water rail eat?

The water rail is a carnivore classed as an aquatic predator.

### What habitat does the water rail live in?

The water rail lives in wetland habitat and forages in a terrestrial stratum. It is partially migratory.

### Is the water rail endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List assesses the water rail as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a water rail live?

The water rail has a lifespan of 8.8 years, with values reported up to 8.9 years.

### How many eggs does a water rail lay?

The water rail has a clutch size of 8.5 and 2 clutches per year, with an egg incubation period of 20.5 days. It reaches sexual maturity at 1 year.

### Who named the water rail?

The water rail, Rallus aquaticus, was named by Linnaeus in 1758.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Water rail (Rallus aquaticus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/water-rail