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California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) <br />in the Redwood Shores Area* <br />Perennial inhabitant of vreater San Francisco Bay tidal marshes. <br />Federal endangered species: 35 Federal Regi ter 16047 — 16048 (13 October 1970). <br />California endangered species: Title 14, California Code of Regulations, § 670.5 (27 June 1971). <br />Description. The California clapper rail, a secretive, "henlike" waterbird, is one of the largest rails, <br />measuring approximately 13 to 19 inches from bill to tail and weighing about 250 to 300 grams. The <br />bird has a long slightly downward - curving orange bill, a cinnamon -buff colored breast, olive -brown <br />upper parts, black and white barred flanks, and white undertail coverts. The brown back feathers are <br />edged with gray. Males are slightly larger than the females. The young have a pale bill and dark <br />plumage. <br />Distribution. California clapper rail populations are currently limited to San Francisco Bay, San <br />Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, and the tidal marshes associated with estuarine sloughs that drain into these <br />bays. <br />History. Historically, California clapper rails ranged within coastal tidal marshes from Humboldt <br />Bay southward to Elkhorn Slough and Morro Bay and from the estuarine marshes of San Francisco <br />and San Pablo bays to the Carquinez Strait (LSA, 2004). The highest density of clapper rails <br />historically was found in south San Francisco Bay. In 1880, the California clapper rail was classified <br />as a distinct species, reclassified as a clapper rail population in 1926, and recognized as one of <br />numerous clapper rail subspecies in 1977 (Erlich et al., 1992). Before about 1900, "thousands" of <br />clapper rails were reportedly killed by hunters each week (Thelander, 1994). The Migratory Bird <br />* PREPARED BY MS. TUNSTALL LANG, JD, REA, OF THE HUFFM AN- BROADWAY GROUP, INC. <br />PAGE 1 01 15 <br />