Rallidae

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Rallidae
Spotted Crake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Vigors, 1825
Genera
some 40, see text.

Contents 1 Systematics 1.1 Extant (living) genera 1.2 Recently extinct genera 1.3 Late Quaternary prehistoric extinctions 1.4 Fossil record 1.5 Doubtfully placed here 2 References

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 Corn Crake 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.

[edit] Systematics

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. Given the uncertainly about gruiform monophyly, this may or may not be correct; it certainly seems more justified than most of the Sibley-Ahlquist proposals.

[edit] Extant (living) genera

• Genus Himanthornis (Nkulengu Rail)
  • Nkulengu Rail, Himantornis haematopus
• Genus Sarothrura (flufftails; 9 species)
  • 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 Canirallus (2 species)
  • Grey-throated Rail, Canirallus oculeus
  • Madagascar Wood Rail, Canirallus kioloides
• Genus Coturnicops (3 species)
  • Swinhoe's Rail, Coturnicops exquisitus
  • Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis
  • Speckled Rail, Coturnicops notatus
• Genus Micropygia (Ocellated Crake)
  • Ocellated Crake, Micropygia schomburgkii
• 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)
  • Chestnut-headed Crake, Anurolimnas castaneiceps
  • Russet-crowned Crake, Anurolimnas viridis
  • Black-banded Crake, Anurolimnas fasciatus
• 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)
  • Bar-winged Rail, Nesoclopeus poecilopterus - extinct (c. 1980)
  • Woodford's Rail, Nesoclopeus woodfordi
• Genus Gallirallus (11-12 living species, 3-5 recently extinct)
• Genus Rallus (some 9 living species)
• Genus Lewinia (3 species) - sometimes included in Rallus
  • Lewin's Rail, Lewinia pectoralis
  • Brown-banded Rail, Lewinia mirifica
  • Auckland Rail, Lewinia muelleri
• Genus Dryolimnas (1 living species, 1 recently extinct)
  • White-throated Rail, Dryolimnas cuvieri
  • Réunion Rail, Dryolimnas augusti - extinct (late 17th century)
• Genus Crecopsis (African Crake) - sometimes included in Crex
  • African Crake, Crecopsis egregia
• Genus Crex (Corn Crake)
• Genus Rougetius (Rouget's Rail)
  • Rouget's Rail, Rougetius rougetii
• Genus Aramidopsis (Snoring Rail)
  • Snoring Rail, Aramidopsis plateni

• Genus Aramides (wood-rails, 8-9 living species, possibly 1 recently extinct)
  • Red-throated Wood Rail, Aramides gutturalis - doubtful species; extinct (20th century?)
  • 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)
  • Uniform Crake, Amaurolimnas concolor
• Genus Gymnocrex (3 species)
  • Bald-faced Rail, Gymnocrex rosenbergii
  • Talaud Rail, Gymnocrex talaudensis
  • Bare-eyed Rail, Gymnocrex plumbeiventris
• 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 Porzana (crakes; 13 living species, 4-5 recently extinct)
• Genus Aenigmatolimnas (Striped Crake)
  • Striped Crake, Aenigmatolimnas marginalis
• Genus Cyanolimnas (Zapata Rail)
• Genus Neocrex (2 species)
  • Colombian Crake, Neocrex colombianus
  • Paint-billed Crake, Neocrex erythrops
• Genus Pardirallus (3 species)
  • Spotted Rail, Pardirallus maculatus
  • Blackish Rail, Pardirallus nigricans
  • Plumbeous Rail, Pardirallus sanguinolentus
• Genus Eulabeornis (Chestnut Rail)
  • Chestnut Rail, Eulabeornis castaneoventris
• Genus Habroptila (Invisible Rail)
• Genus Megacrex (New Guinea Flightless Rail)
  • New Guinea Flightless Rail, Megacrex inepta
• Genus Gallicrex (Watercock)
• 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 prehistoric rails of extant genera, known only from fossil or subfossil remains, such as the Ibiza Rail (Rallus eivissensis). These have not been listed here; see the genus accounts and the articles on fossil and Late Quaternary prehistoric birds for these species.

[edit] Recently extinct genera

• Genus Nesotrochis (cave-rails; 3 species) - extinct (prehistoric or later)
  • Antillean Cave-Rail, Nesotrochis debooyi (Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, West Indies) - may have survived until historic times
  • Haitian Cave-Rail, Nesotrochis steganinos (Haiti, West Indies) - prehistoric
  • Cuban Cave-Rail, Nesotrochis picapicensis (Cuba, West Indies) - prehistoric
• Genus Diaphorapteryx (Hawkins' Rail) - extinct (19th century)
• Genus Aphanapteryx (2 species) - extinct (mid-18th century)
• Genus Cabalus (Chatham Rail) - sometimes included in Gallirallus; extinct (c. 1900)
  • Chatham Rail, Cabalus modestus
• Genus Mundia (Ascension Island Rail) - formerly included in Atlantisia; extinct (late 17th century)
  • Ascension Island Rail, Mundia elpenor
• Genus Aphanocrex (Saint Helena Swamphen) - formerly included in Atlantisia; extinct (16th century)

[edit] Late Quaternary prehistoric extinctions

• Genus Capellirallus (Snipe-rail)
• Genus Vitirallus (Viti Levu Rail)
• Genus Hovacrex (Hova-gallinule)

[edit] Fossil record

• Genus Eocrex (Wasatch Early Eocene of Steamboat Springs, USA)
• Genus Palaeorallus (Wasatch Early Eocene of Wyoming, USA)
• Genus Aletornis (Bridger Middle Eocene of Uinta County, USA)
• Genus Fulicaletornis (Bridger Middle Eocene of Henry's Fork, USA)
• Genus Ibidopsis (Hordwell Late Eocene of Hordwell, UK)
• Genus Quercyrallus (Late Eocene -? Late Oligocene of France)
• Genus Belgirallus (Early Oligocene of WC Europe)
• Genus Rallicrex (Corbula Middle/Late Oligocene of Kolzsvár, Romania)
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Late Oligocene of Billy-Créchy, France: Hugueney et al. 2003)
• Genus Palaeoaramides (Late Oligocene/Early Miocene - Late Miocene of France)
• Genus Paraortygometra (Late Oligocene/?Early Miocene of France)
• Genus Pararallus (Late Oligocene? - Late Miocene of C Europe)
• Genus Miofulica (Anversian Black Sand Middle Miocene of Antwerp, Belgium)
• Genus Miorallus (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France)
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Sajóvölgyi Middle Miocene of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary: Gál et al. 1998-99)
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Late Miocene of Lemoyne Quarry, USA)
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. UMMP V55013/-14; UMMP V55012/V45750/V45746 (Rexroad Late Pliocene of Saw Rock Canyon, USA)
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. UMMP V29080 (Rexroad Late Pliocene of Fox Canyon, USA)
• Genus Creccoides
• Genus Microrallus
• Genus Parvirallus
• Genus Youngornis
• Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Bermuda, West Atlantic)

[edit] Doubtfully placed here

These taxa may or may not have been rails:

• Genus Ludiortyx (Montmartre Late Eocene of Montmartre, France)
• Genus Telecrex (Irdin Manha Late Eocene of Shara Murun, Mongolia)
• Genus Palaeocrex (Early Oligocene of Trigonias Quarry, USA)
• Genus Rupelrallus (Early Oligocene of Germany)
• Genus Euryonotus (Pleistocene of Argentina)

[edit] References

• Gál, Erika; Hír, János; Kessler, Eugén & Kókay, József (1998-99): Középsõ-miocén õsmaradványok, a Mátraszõlõs, Rákóczi-kápolna alatti útbevágásból. I. A Mátraszõlõs 1. lelõhely [Middle Miocene fossils from the sections at the Rákóczi chapel at Mátraszőlős. Locality Mátraszõlõs I.]. Folia Historico Naturalia Musei Matraensis 23: 33-78. [Hungarian with English abstract] PDF fulltext

• Hugueney, Marguerite; Berthet, Didier; Bodergat, Anne-Marie; Escuillié, François; Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile & Wattinne, Aurélia (2003): La limite Oligocène-Miocène en Limagne-changements fauniques chez les mammifères, oiseaux et ostracodes des différents niveaux de Billy-Créchy (Allier, France). Geobios 36: 719-731 [Article in French with English abstract] DOI:10.1016/j.geobios.2003.01.002 (HTML abstract)