Top Notch Chick

Another of Jeff's photos, the Gray-necked Wood-rail (Aramides cajanea) foraging in a forest puddle near Chan Chich Lodge. The Belizean name is one of my favorites: Top Notch Chick. And I haven't a clue as to how it got this name. The Top Notch Chick is a member of the rail family and not nearly so secretive as most rails seem to be. It's readily seen in swampy areas -- and even along roadsides -- throughout Belize.