Wood Rail

To Venezuela and a couple of years ago now for a bird. Grey-necked wood rail (Aramides cajanea) is a chicken-sized bird of wet dense habitats throughout central and northern south America (and supposedly an introduced species of Florida (groan) - not sure if anyone can confirm this?).

It's a big rail, fast moving on those long legs.  As that epic bill suggests it will eat pretty big prey, crabs are a favourite by all accounts but I'd have thought small reptiles, amphibians, mammals and ground based nestlings are all also gonna be in the line of fire if the opportunity presents itself.

It was a surprised to see a rail be as bold as this one was, not quite as secretive as other species I've seen. That said an easy escape route presented itself off shot in the form of dense aquatic forest.