The First Record of the Western Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) in South Korea through a Taxonomic Study

The Western water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) is geographically classified into four subspecies, but recent researches suggest that the Water Rail is divisible into two species. Based on this taxonomic view, an adult Water Rail observed at Heami stream, Seosan city, Chungcheongnam-do (N 36° 42" 47.0" E 126° 27" 40.9") on 31 December 2006 is indeed the Western Water Rail. This is the first record of the Western Water Rail in the Korean peninsula. The observed Western Water Rail is possibly considered the R. a. korejewi distributed in western-middle Asia.