: No confirmed records but they almost certainly breed in the much visited Pray's Brook Marsh where since 2020 birds have been seen and heard well into July. The species probably breeds as well in the Sieur de Monts area, the Schooner Head Road marshes, and perhaps in other smaller MDI wetlands.
Migration: mid Apr-early Jun and again mid Sep-late Oct, but often silent and thus all but undetectable in freshwater marshes and wetlands.
Miscellany: Most nocturnal bird migrants transit at some elevation, up to multiple thousands of feets above the earth's surface. Virginia Rails are thought to migrate just a few feet above the ground/tree tops.
Last Reviewed: August 9th, 2026