The coots, moorhens, crakes, and rails of the Railidae family generally occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are omnivores. Most nest in dense vegetation. Most species walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. A few coots and gallinules have a "frontal shield", which is a fleshy rearward extension of the upper bill. The flight of those Rallidae able to fly, while not very powerful, can be sustained for long periods of time and many species undertake annual migrations. [abstracted from Wikipedia]


Genus Fulica

Coot aka Eurasian Coot Fulica atra   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - England


Coot, Red-knobbed Fulica cristata   Found: southern Europe, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - World of Birds - Cape Town, South Africa  2) Dick near Johannesburg, South Africa



Genus Gallinula

Moorhen, Common Gallinula chloropus   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - North Carolina  2) Dick - England    3, 6) Dick - the Galapagos 
    5, 8) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa  4) Sandy Cole - Birds of Eden  7) Dick - Jamaica
8) Juvenile identified by Charlie Westeinen
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Genus Porphyrio

Swamphen, Purple  aka Pukeko Porphyrio porphyrio   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, introduced - Florida
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Australia  3) JJ Harrison - Australia



Genus Amaurornis

Crake, Black Amaurornis flavirostra   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Arno Meintjes   3) Lip Kee Yap 4) Pascal Charbonneau - South Africa