The brown wood rail (Aramides wolfi) is a species of bird in the subfamily Rallinae of the rail, crake, and coot family Rallidae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip retrieved August 7, 2022 It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
Taxonomy and systematics
The brown wood rail is monotypic.
Description
The brown wood rail is long, one male was found to weigh .CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), . The sexes are alike. Adults have a yellow-green bill, a red eye, and pink legs and feet. Their head is ashy gray with a yellow spot on the forehead and a pale throat. Their tail, flanks, and belly are black and the rest of their body is chestnut to warm brown. Immatures and juveniles have not been described.
The brown wood rail's specific epithet commemorates the German naturalist Theodor Wolf.
Distribution and habitat
The brown wood rail is patchily distributed in western Colombia and western Ecuador. A single 1977 report from Peru was retracted in 2011 and the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society does not recognize it.Graves, G.R. (2011). Status of wood rails (Aramides) in mangroves in north-west Peru. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 131(3): 210–212 It inhabits a variety of wet and dry landscapes including mangroves, freshwater marsh, swampy woodland, river bottoms, and mature and secondary forest. In elevation it ranges from sea level to .
Behavior Movement
The brown wood rail appears to be a year-round resident throughout its range.
Feeding
Nothing is known about the brown wood rail's foraging methods or diet.
Breeding
The brown wood rail's breeding season in Ecuador spans at least February to April. Nests there were bulk open cups made of large dead leaves and bits of vine. Their placement varied, being on stumps, on branch or vine tangles, and in understory shrubs between above the ground. The clutch size was two to four eggs and the incubation period was at least 19 days. In dimensions, the eggs measure about in length and in width.
Vocalization
One call of the brown wood rail is a repeated "kui-co-mui".
Status
The IUCN originally assessed the brown wood rail as Threatened, and from 1994–2025 considered it to be Vulnerable. As of 2025, it has been downlisted to Least Concern due to its very large range. While population size is unknown, it is believed to be decreasing due to destruction of its mangrove habitats for agricultural use. References
External links Species Factsheet from Birdlife International