A Michigan Passport is required for entry to the park and may be purchased there. Keep in mind during hunting season to be aware of hunters in the area. Hunting is allowed from September 15 untill April 1st each year.
Rallus elegans
King rail
Key Characteristics
The King rail is a large, 15 -19 inches (38-48 cm) long bird with a wingspan 21 - 25 inches (53-64 cm). It weighs 12 ounces (341 grams), is a rust-colored marsh bird with a long bill and long toes. Upper body parts are olive brown, the breast is reddish-brown, flanks are barred with black and white; the tail is short and often uplifted. Although seldom flushed, flight is usually short, skimming the top of emergent vegetation with legs often dangling. The similar Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) occurs in the same habitats, but is a gray-cheeked, smaller version of its larger relative and lacks the King rail's extensive barring on the sides and undertail coverts.
Habitat
The King Rail is a bird of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes region. They are associated with permanent marsh habitats along upland-wetland edges largely dominated by tussock-forming sedges. In Michigan, we have few confirmed breeding records for this species in the last decade.