Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

(Rallidae)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Rails, Gallinules, and Coots are usually short, dumpy birds almost always found in marsh habitats. Although Gallinules can be brightly colored, most rails are cryptically marked and extremely secretive birds. The rails spend most of their lives moving through the reeds and cattails of their habitat and rarely fly. Consequently some rail species, although they may be relatively common, are rarely seen. There are approximately 130 species of rails worldwide. Nine species of the family occur in North America, all of them found in eastern North America.

Yellow Rail

Coturnicops noveboracensis