(Rallus aquaticus), a bird of the family Rallidae. Length, approximately 30 cm. The feathers on the back are clay-brown with dark longitudinal markings, and the breast is a grayish light blue.

The water rail is a migratory bird. In the USSR it nests in the southern and central band from the western border to Primor’e; it winters in Transcaucasia and the south of Middle Asia. The bird lives in reed thickets near bodies of water. There are 6-10 mottled eggs in a clutch. The water rail is nocturnal and feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates.