| an Old World rail, Rallus aquaticus, having olive-brown plumage marked with black and a long, red bill. |
| water rail n. A brownish Old World rail (Rallus aquaticus) with a long red bill, living in marshy warm coastal areas of the Pacific. |
water rail
(Rallus aquaticus), slender marsh bird of the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes), native to most of Europe and Asia. Its length is about 28 cm (11 inches), and it has a moderately long beak. The sides of the bird have black and white bands. The name water rail also is used as a general term for the larger group, or tribe, to which R. aquaticus belongs. Rallus aquaticus can be distinguished from the tribe Rallini by its relatively long beak. See also rail
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