Rallidae – Rails & coots
This family is highly diverse due to the inclusion of several species
Members of this widespread family include long-billed rails, aquatic coots, short-billed crakes, and gallinules. They are secretive birds living in dense vegetation; very few facts about these species are known.
The short rails have pointed bills for probing, and powerful legs with long toes adapted for running. The bills in crakes and gallinules are comparatively shorter; they forage in shallow waters or browse plants. Gallinules wear the most colorful costumes among the three groups. All the members’ coots are truly aquatic (even nests in water) with relevant adaptations.
Genera in this family
Small coots might look like moorhens bobbing their heads or ducks just chilling in the water
The choice between tiptoeing on water or walking on the ground seems challenging for these witty birds
Gallinula means “little hen” in Latin, and birds in this genus are also known as marsh hens
