List of Birds of The Seychelles - Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots

Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have 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. There are 143 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in the Seychelles.

• White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri
• Corn Crake Crex crex (A)
• White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus (A)
• Little Crake Porzana parva (A)
• Spotted Crake Porzana porzana (A)
• Striped Crake Aenigmatolimnas marginalis (A)
• Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio (Ex)
• Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni (A)
• Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus