Birds Guide

Rallidae
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae Vigors, 1825
Genera
Nesotrochis (extinct) Diaphorapteryx (extinct) Aphanapteryx (extinct) Sarothrura Himantornis Canirallus Coturnicops Micropygia Rallina Anurolimnas Laterallus Nesoclopeus Gallirallus Cabalus (extinct) Rallus Lewinia Dryolimnas Crecopsis Crex Rougetius Aramidopsis Atlantisia Aramides Amaurolimnas Gymnocrex Amaurornis Mundia (extinct) Porzana Aenigmatolimnas Cyanolimnas Neocrex Pardirallus Eulabeornis Habroptila Megacrex Gallicrex Aphanocrex (extinct) Porphyrio Gallinula Fulica

The family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Nearly all members are associated with wetlands. There are exceptions, however, notably the Corncrake which breeds on farmland.

The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. Reedbeds are a particularly favoured habitat. They are omnivorous, and those that migrate do so at night: most nest in dense vegetation. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe.

Most species walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers, although nevertheless capable of covering long distances.

Island species often become flightless, and many of them are now extinct following the introduction of terrestrial predators such as cats, rats and pigs.

Many reedbed species are secretive, apart from loud calls, and crepuscular, and have laterally flattened bodies. In the Old World, long billed species tend to be called “rails” and short billed species “crakes”. North American species are normally called rails irrespective of bill length.

The larger species are also sometimes given other names. The black coots are more adapted to open water than their relatives, and some other large species are called gallinules and swamphens.

Taxonomy

The family Rallidae has traditionally been grouped with two families of larger birds, the cranes and bustards to make up the order Gruiformes. The alternative Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, which has been widely accepted in America, raises the family to ordinal level as the Ralliformes.

Species and genera

• Genus Atlantisia
  • Inaccessible Island Rail, Atlantisia rogersi
    Ascension Flightless Crake, Atlantisia elpenor (extinct)
    St Helena Crake, Atlantisia podarces (extinct)
• Genus Nesotrochis (cave-rails)
  • Antillean Cave-Rail, Nesotrochis debooyi (extinct)
• Genus Diaphorapteryx
  • Hawkins' Rail, Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi (extinct)
• Genus Aphanapteryx
  • Red Rail, Aphanapteryx bonasia (extinct)
    Rodrigues Rail, Aphanapteryx leguati (extinct)
• Genus Sarothrura (flufftails)
  • White-spotted Flufftail, Sarothrura pulchra
    Buff-spotted Flufftail, Sarothrura elegans
    Red-chested Flufftail, Sarothrura rufa
    Chestnut-headed Flufftail, Sarothrura lugens
    Streaky-breasted Flufftail, Sarothrura boehmi
    Striped Flufftail, Sarothrura affinis
    Madagascar Flufftail, Sarothrura insularis
    White-winged Flufftail, Sarothrura ayresi
    Slender-billed Flufftail, Sarothrura watersi
• Genus Himanthornis
  • Nkulengu Rail, Himantornis haematopus
• Genus Canirallus
  • Grey-throated Rail, Canirallus oculeus
    Madagascar Wood Rail, Canirallus kioloides
• Genus Coturnicops
  • Swinhoe's Rail, Coturnicops exquisitus
    Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis
    Speckled Rail, Coturnicops notatus
• Genus Micropygia
  • Ocellated Crake, Micropygia schomburgkii
• Genus Rallina
  • Chestnut Forest Rail, Rallina rubra
    White-striped Forest Rail, Rallina leucospila
    Forbes's Forest Rail, Rallina forbesi
    Mayr's Forest Rail, Rallina mayri
    Red-necked Crake, Rallina tricolor
    Andaman Crake, Rallina canningi
    Red-legged Crake, Rallina fasciata
    Slaty-legged Crake, Rallina eurizonoides
• Genus Anurolimnas
  • Chestnut-headed Crake, Anurolimnas castaneiceps
    Russet-crowned Crake, Anurolimnas viridis
    Black-banded Crake, Anurolimnas fasciatus
• Genus Laterallus
  • Rufous-sided Crake, Laterallus melanophaius
    Rusty-flanked Crake, Laterallus levraudi
    Ruddy Crake, Laterallus ruber
    White-throated Crake, Laterallus albigularis
    Grey-breasted Crake, Laterallus exilis
    Black Rail, Laterallus jamaicensis
    Junin Rail, Laterallus tuerosi
    Galapagos Rail, Laterallus spilonotus
    Red-and-white Crake, Laterallus leucopyrrhus
    Rufous-faced Crake, Laterallus xenopterus
• Genus Nesoclopeus
  • Bar-winged Rail, Nesoclopeus poecilopterus (extinct)
    Woodford's Rail, Nesoclopeus woodfordi
• Genus Gallirallus
  • Weka, Gallirallus australis
    New Caledonian Rail, Gallirallus lafresnayanus (possibly extinct)
    Lord Howe Island Rail, Gallirallus sylvestris
    Okinawa Rail, Gallirallus okinawae
    Calayan Rail, Gallirallus calayanensis
    Barred Rail, Gallirallus torquatus
    New Britain Rail, Gallirallus insignis
    Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis
    Roviana Rail, Gallirallus rovianae
    Guam Rail, Gallirallus owstoni (extinct in the wild)
    Dieffenbach's Rail, Gallirallus dieffenbachii (extinct)
    Tahiti Rail, Gallirallus pacificus (extinct)
    Wake Island Rail, Gallirallus wakensis (extinct)
    Sharpe's Rail, Gallirallus sharpei (probably extinct)
    Slaty-breasted Rail, Gallirallus striatus
• Genus Cabalus (sometimes included in Gallirallus)
  • Chatham Rail, Cabalus modestus (extinct)
• Genus Rallus
  • Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris
    • California Clapper Rail, R. l. brownii
  • King Rail, Rallus elegans
    Plain-flanked Rail, Rallus wetmorei
    Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola
    Bogota Rail, Rallus semiplumbeus
    Austral Rail, Rallus antarcticus
    Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus
    African Rail, Rallus caerulescens
    Madagascar Rail, Rallus madagascariensis
• Genus Lewinia (sometimes included in Rallus)
  • Lewin's Rail, Lewinia pectoralis
    Brown-banded Rail, Lewinia mirifica
    Auckland Rail, Lewinia muelleri
• Genus Dryolimnas
  • White-throated Rail, Dryolimnas cuvieri
    Réunion Rail, Dryolimnas augusti (extinct)
• Genus Crecopsis (sometimes included in Crex)
  • African Crake, Crecopsis egregia
• Genus Crex
  • Corn Crake, Crex crex
• Genus Rougetius
  • Rouget's Rail, Rougetius rougetii
• Genus Aramidopsis
  • Snoring Rail, Aramidopsis plateni

• Genus Aramides
  • Red-throated Wood Rail, Aramides gutturalis (extinct, doubtful species)
    Little Wood Rail, Aramides mangle
    Rufous-necked Wood Rail, Aramides axillaris
    Grey-necked Wood Rail, Aramides cajanea
    Brown Wood Rail, Aramides wolfi
    Giant Wood Rail, Aramides ypecaha
    Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Aramides saracura
    Red-winged Wood Rail, Aramides calopterus
• Genus Amaurolimnas
  • Uniform Crake, Amaurolimnas concolor
• Genus Gymnocrex
  • Bald-faced Rail, Gymnocrex rosenbergii
    Talaud Rail, Gymnocrex talaudensis
    Bare-eyed Rail, Gymnocrex plumbeiventris
• Genus Amaurornis
  • Brown Crake, Amaurornis akool
    Plain Bush-hen, Amaurornis olivacea
    Isabelline Bush-hen, Amaurornis isabellina
    Rufous-tailed Bush-hen, Amaurornis moluccana
    White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus
    Black Crake, Amaurornis flavirostra
    Sakalava Rail, Amaurornis olivieri
    Black-tailed Crake, Amaurornis bicolor
    Talaud Bush-hen, Amaurornis magnirostris
• Genus Mundia (formerly included in Atlantisia)
  • Ascension Island Rail, Mundia elpenor (extinct)
• Genus Porzana (crakes)
  • Saint Helena Crake, Porzana astrictocarpus (extinct)
    Little Crake, Porzana parva
    Baillon's Crake, Porzana pusilla
    Laysan Rail, Porzana palmeri (extinct)
    Spotted Crake, Porzana porzana
    Australian Crake, Porzana fluminea
    Sora, Porzana carolina
    Dot-winged Crake, Porzana spiloptera
    Ash-throated Crake, Porzana albicollis
    Hawaiian Rail, Porzana sandwichensis (extinct)
    Ruddy-breasted Crake, Porzana fusca
    Band-bellied Crake, Porzana paykullii
    Spotless Crake, Porzana tabuensis
    Kosrae Island Crake, Porzana monasa
    Henderson Island Crake, Porzana atra
    Miller's Crake, Porzana nigra (extinct, doubtful species)
    Yellow-breasted Crake, Porzana flaviventer
    White-browed Crake, Porzana cinerea
• Genus Aenigmatolimnas
  • Striped Crake, Aenigmatolimnas marginalis
• Genus Cyanolimnas
  • Zapata Rail, Cyanolimnas cerverai
• Genus Neocrex
  • Colombian Crake, Neocrex colombianus
    Paint-billed Crake, Neocrex erythrops
• Genus Pardirallus
  • Spotted Rail, Pardirallus maculatus
    Blackish Rail, Pardirallus nigricans
    Plumbeous Rail, Pardirallus sanguinolentus
• Genus Eulabeornis
  • Chestnut Rail, Eulabeornis castaneoventris
• Genus Habroptila
  • Invisible Rail, Habroptila wallacii
• Genus Megacrex
  • New Guinea Flightless Rail, Megacrex inepta
• Genus Gallicrex
  • Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea
• Genus Aphanocrex (formerly included in Atlantisia)
  • Saint Helena Swamphen, Aphanocrex podarces (extinct)
• Genus Porphyrio (swamphens and purple gallinules)
  • Réunion Swamphen or Oiseau bleu, Porphyrio coerulescens (extinct, doubtful species)
    New Caledonian Swamphen, Porphyrio kukwiedei (extinct)
    Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
    Lord Howe Swamphen, Porphyrio albus (extinct)
    Marquesan Swamphen, Porphyrio paepae (extinct)
    North Island Takahē, Porphyrio mantelli (extinct)
    Takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri
    Allen's Gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (sometimes placed in genus Porphyrula)
    American Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (sometimes placed in genus Porphyrula)
    Azure Gallinule, Porphyrio flavirostris (sometimes placed in genus Porphyrula)
    African Purple Swamphen or African Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio madagascariensis (sometimes placed in genus Porphyrula)
    Porphyrio mcnabi (extinct)
• Genus Gallinula (gallinules)
  • Samoan Wood Rail, Gallinula pacifica (sometimes placed in genus Pareudiastes, possibly extinct)
    Makira Wood Rail, Gallinula silvestris (sometimes placed in genus Pareudiastes or Edithornis, possibly extinct)
    Tristan Moorhen, Gallinula nesiotis (extinct)
    Gough Island Moorhen, Gallinula comeri
    Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
    Dusky Moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa
    Lesser Moorhen, Gallinula angulata
    Spot-flanked Gallinule, Gallinula melanops
    Black-tailed Native-hen, Gallinula ventralis
    Tasmanian Native-hen, Gallinula mortierii
• Genus Fulica (coots)
  • Mascarene Coot, Fulica newtoni (extinct)
    Red-knobbed Coot, Fulica cristata
    Eurasian Coot or Common Coot, Fulica atra
    Hawaiian Coot, Fulica alai
    American Coot, Fulica americana
    Caribbean Coot, Fulica caribaea
    White-winged Coot, Fulica leucoptera
    Andean Coot, Fulica ardesiaca
    Red-gartered Coot, Fulica armillata
    Red-fronted Coot, Fulica rufifrons
    Giant Coot, Fulica gigantea
    Horned Coot Fulica cornuta

Additionally, there are many species only known from fossil or subfossil remains that have not been listed here, such as the Ibiza Rail (Rallus eivissensis). See Late Quaternary prehistoric birds for these species.