The genus Rallus consists of wetland birds of the rail family that are closely related to each other.
Distribution / Range
Six of them occur in South America and three are found in Eurasia, Africa and Madagascar
They live in wet reedbeds and marshes with dense semi-aquatic vegetation.
Description
These slim rails have long bills and slender legs.
With the exception of the African Rail which has a plain back, all other members have a streaked brown upper plumage.
The face and chest is blue-grey on the face or breast, and the flanks are barred on all except the Plain-flanked Rail, which lacks any blue-grey in its plumage and has no flank bars.
Species
Living species
- Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris
- California Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris obsoletus
- 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
Extinct species
- Ibiza Rail, Rallus eivissensis (prehistoric)
- Rallus sp. (Sajóvölgyi Middle Miocene of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary)
- Rallus lacustris (Late Pliocene of C North America)
- Rallus phillipsi (Late Pliocene of Wickieup, USA)
- Rallus prenticei (Late Pliocene of C North America) – formerly Gallinuloides
- Rallus sp. (Rexroad Late Pliocene of Saw Rock Canyon, USA)
- Rallus auffenbergi (Middle Pleistocene of SE North America) – formerly Porzana
- Rallus ibycus (Shore Hills Late Pleistocene of Bermuda, W Atlantic)
- Rallus recessus (St Georges Soil Late Pleistocene of Bermuda, W Atlantic)
- Rallus natator (Pleistocene of San Josecito Cavern, Mexico) – formerly Epirallus
- Rallus richondi – includes R. dubius
