Rails & Gallinules - Râles et gallinules

This family of birds includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules.  The family consists of small- to medium-sized, ground-living birds, with short rounded wings, short tail, large feet, and long toes. 

They are distributed throughout the world, except in dry deserts, polar regions, and alpine areas above the snow line.

The most common rail habitats are marshland and dense forest. They are especially fond of dense vegetation. Coots and gallinules flock like ducks, swim in open water, and waddle conspicuously on shore. By contrast, rails are secretive birds, hiding among reeds at the water’s edge by day and uttering their calls mostly at night.

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Did you know ??

Common Gallinules are nicknamed "swamp chickens".