Zapata Rail
Cyanolimnas cerverai
Overview
The Zapata rail is a medium-sized, dark-coloured rail. It has brown upperparts, greyish-blue underparts, a red-based yellow bill, white undertail coverts, and red eyes and legs. Its short wings render it almost flightless. It is endemic to the wetlands of the Zapata Peninsula in southern Cuba, where its only known nest was found in sawgrass tussocks. Little is known of its diet or reproductive behaviour, and its described calls may belong to a different species.
The Zapata Rail faces severe threats from habitat destruction within its extremely limited range in Cuba's Zapata Swamp. Invasive species, particularly feral pigs and exotic plants, degrade the pristine wetland conditions this flightless rail requires. Climate change poses an existential threat through sea-level rise and altered precipitation patterns that could eliminate the species' entire habitat. Human disturbance from tourism and research activities in this small, fragmented population adds additional pressure to an already precarious situation.
Habitat
The Zapata Rail is endemic to the Zapata Swamp in Cuba, inhabiting dense sawgrass marshes and wet prairies with scattered shrubs. This flightless species requires pristine freshwater wetlands with specific water levels and native vegetation structure for foraging and nesting.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in RALLIDAE
Threatened in Cuba
Frequently asked questions
Why is Zapata Rail classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Zapata Rail live?
What are the main threats to Zapata Rail?
Get weekly conservation intelligence
One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.
Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.