The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.

These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen.

Virginia rails have the highest ratio of leg-muscle to flight-muscle of all birds (25% - 15% of body weight respectively).

Juveniles are blackish brown on upperparts with rufous on the edge of feathers and brownish bill and legs.

Its breeding habitat is marshes from Nova Scotia to Southern British Columbia, California and North Carolina, and in Central America.

The Virginia rail probes with its bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight.

It mainly eat insects and other aquatic invertebrates, like beetles, flies, dragonflies, crayfish, snails and earthworms.

It can also eat aquatic animals like frogs, fish and some small snakes, as well as seeds.

[6] This birds lays a clutch of 4 to 13 white or buff eggs with sparse gray or brown spotting.