Rallidae
| iRallidae | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| | ||||||||||
some 40, see text. |
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 Himanthornis (Nkulengu Rail)
- Genus †Nesotrochis (cave-rails; 3 species) (extinct)
- Genus †Diaphorapteryx (Hawkins' Rail) (extinct)
- Genus †Aphanapteryx (2 species) (extinct)
- Genus Sarothrura (flufftails; 9 species)
- Genus Canirallus (2 species)
- Genus Coturnicops (3 species)
- Swinhoe's Rail, Coturnicops exquisitus
- Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis
- Speckled Rail, Coturnicops notatus
- Genus Micropygia (Ocellated Crake)
- Genus Rallina (forest rails; 8 species)
- 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 (3 species)
- Genus Atlantisia (Inaccessible Island Rail)
- Genus Laterallus (10 species)
- 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 (1 living species) (1 recently extinct)
- Genus Gallirallus (11-12 living species) (3-5 recently extinct)
- Genus †Cabalus (Chatham Rail) (extinct; sometimes included in Gallirallus)
- Genus Rallus (some 9 living species)
- Genus Lewinia (3 species) (sometimes included in Rallus)
- Genus Dryolimnas (1 living species) (1 recently extinct)
- Genus Crecopsis (African Crake (sometimes included in Crex)
- Genus Crex (Corn Crake)
- Genus Rougetius (Rouget's Rail)
- Genus Aramidopsis (Snoring Rail)
- Genus Aramides (wood-rails, 8-9 living species (possibly 1 recently extinct)
- Genus Amaurolimnas (Uniform Crake)
- Genus Gymnocrex (3 species)
- Genus Amaurornis (9 species)
- 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 (Ascension Island Rail) (extinct; formerly included in Atlantisia)
- Genus Porzana (crakes; 13 living species) (4-5 recently extinct)
- Genus Aenigmatolimnas (Striped Crake)
- Genus Cyanolimnas (Zapata Rail)
- Genus Neocrex (2 species)
- Genus Pardirallus (3 species)
- Genus Eulabeornis (Chestnut Rail)
- Genus Habroptila (Invisible Rail)
- Genus Megacrex (New Guinea Flightless Rail)
- Genus Gallicrex (Watercock)
- Genus †Aphanocrex (Saint Helena Swamphen) (extinct; formerly included in Atlantisia)
- Genus Porphyrio (swamphens and purple gallinules; 6 living species) (2-5 recently extinct; includes Porphyrula and Notornis)
- Genus Gallinula (gallinules; 7-9 living species) (1-3 recently extinct; includes Pareudiastes and Edithornis)
- Genus Fulica (coots; c.10 living species) (1 recently extinct)
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 the genus accounts and the articles on fossil and Late Quaternary prehistoric birds for these species.
Categories
Bird families | Rallidae