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Rails, Crakes & Coots

Rails, or Rallidae, are a diverse family of small to medium-sized birds found worldwide, except for Antarctica, deserts, polar regions, and high mountains. This family includes species like crakes, coots, and gallinules, many of which favor wetlands but can be found in various terrestrial habitats. Rails have evolved a remarkable range, from 12 to 63 cm in length, with some species having markedly long necks and laterally compressed bodies. Their bills are particularly varied, some being considerably long, while others are short and broad, and a few species feature a significant frontal shield. These birds generally have limited sexual size dimorphism and their calls are often loud, aiding communication through dense vegetation. Rails typically exhibit short, rounded wings and although they're not powerful fliers, many can sustain long flights during migration. However, their flight is so weak that it easily leads them off course, which is why they're often found on isolated islands. This propensity for weak flight and even flightlessness is a classic example of parallel evolution, particularly abundant on islands where lack of predators renders the ability to fly unnecessary. Flightless birds tend to have fewer energy requirements, and this has allowed for the diversification and adaptation of rails to various ecological niches on islands. Unfortunately, many island rail species have gone extinct or are endangered due to human activity and introduction of predators. Rails typically have a diet that includes invertebrates, fruit, or seedlings, and they are often shy and secretive birds that prefer dense vegetation near water bodies. They usually lay five to 10 eggs, are most often monogamous, and sometimes experience polygyny and polyandry. Humans have hunted rails for their meat and eggs, and some species like the Guam rail have suffered greatly from introduced species. Conservation efforts continue to try and save those that are endangered. The classification of rails, as evidenced by genetic studies, places them within the larger order of Gruiformes or, in some cases, their own order of Ralliformes. The family is scientifically recognized as having been described by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815 and contains numerous genera and species, with a rich fossil record extending into the Eocene. Some species and genera have recently become extinct due to human impact. Overall, the Rallidae family is characterized by their adaptability and the remarkable cases of flightlessness seen among island species. Conservation efforts remain crucial to protect the existing diversity within this family of birds.

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Accentors
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Austral Storm Petrels
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bearded Reedling
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hypocolius
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ioras
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Loons
Megapodes
Monarchs
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers

Rails, Crakes & Coots

Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Streaked Scrub Warbler
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
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Species Categories

AccentorsAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAustral Storm PetrelsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBearded ReedlingBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHypocoliusIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIorasJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLoonsMegapodesMonarchsNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksStreaked Scrub WarblerSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrens

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