''Rallus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial no ...
of
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free ( anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. T ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s of the
rail family. Sometimes, the genera ''
Lewinia'' and ''
Gallirallus'' are included in it. Six of the species are found in the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with t ...
, and the three species found in
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...
are very closely related to each other, suggesting they are descended from a single invasion of a New World ancestor.
[Taylor & van Perlo (1998)]
These are slim, long-billed rails with slender legs. Their laterally flattened bodies are an adaptation to life in wet reedbeds and
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es, enabling them to slip easily through the dense semi-aquatic vegetation. Typically these birds have streaked brown upperparts, blue-grey on the face or breast, and barred flanks. Only the
African rail has a plain back, and the
plain-flanked rail lacks any blue-grey in its plumage and has no flank bars.
Three endemic
South American species are endangered by habitat loss, and the
Madagascar rail is becoming rare.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Rallus'' was erected in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in the
tenth edition of his ''
Systema Naturae
' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial n ...
''. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...
was subsequently designated as the
water rail (''Rallus aquaticus''). The genus name ''Rallus'' comes from the pre-binomial Latin name ''Rallus aquaticus'' for the water rail used by English ornithologist
Francis Willughby
Francis Willughby (sometimes spelt Willoughby, la, Franciscus Willughbeius) FRS (22 November 1635 – 3 July 1672) was an English ornithologist and ichthyologist, and an early student of linguistics and games.
He was born and raised at Mid ...
in 1676, and by the English naturalist
Eleazar Albin
Eleazar Albin (fl. 1690 – c. 1742)Michael A. Salmon, Peter Marren, Basil Harley. ''The Aurelian Legacy'' (University of California Press, 2000) pp. 109-110. was an English naturalist and watercolourist illustrator who wrote and illustrat ...
in 1731. The precise etymology of the word ''Rallus'' is uncertain.
Species
The genus contains 14 extant species:
Fossil record
* ''Rallus'' sp. (Sajóvölgyi Middle Miocene of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary)
[Gál ''et al.'' (1998–1999)]
* ''Rallus'' sp. (Rexroad Late Pliocene of Saw Rock Canyon, USA)
* ''Rallus adolfocaesaris''
Porto Santo rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
of Madeira)
* ''Rallus auffenbergi'' (Middle Pleistocene of SE North America) – formerly ''Porzana''
* ''Rallus carvaoensis''
São Miguel rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
of São Miguel Island in the Azores)
* ''Rallus cyanocavi'' (Late Pleistocene of the Bahamas)
* ''Rallus eivissensis,''
Ibiza rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
)
* ''Rallus ibycus'' (Shore Hills Late Pleistocene of Bermuda, W Atlantic)
* ''Rallus lacustris'' (Late Pliocene of C North America)
* ''Rallus lowei''
Madeira rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
of Madeira)
* ''Rallus minutus''
São Jorge rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
of São Jorge Island in the Azores) - scientific name is provisional
* ''Rallus montivagorum''
Pico rail (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
of Pico Island in the Azores)
* ''Rallus natator'' (Pleistocene of San Josecito Cavern, Mexico) – formerly ''Epirallus''
* ''Rallus phillipsi'' (Late Pliocene of Wickieup, USA)
* ''Rallus prenticei'' (Late Pliocene of C North America)
* ''Rallus recessus'' (St Georges Soil Late Pleistocene of Bermuda, W Atlantic)
* ''Rallus richmondi'' – includes ''R. dubius''
Formerly in ''Rallus''
* ''"R." arenarius'' – now ''
Quercyrallus''
* ''"R." beaumontii'', ''"R." dispar'' – now ''
Pararallus'' or ''
Palaeoaramides''
* ''"R." christyi, "R." eximius, "R." minor'' – now ''Palaeoaramides''
* ''"R." major'' – now ''
Miorallus''
* ''"R." porzanoides'' – now ''
Paraortygometra''
''"R." sumiderensis'' apparently refers to prehistoric remains of the
Zapata rail (''Cyanolimnas cerverai'').
References
References
* Gál, Erika; Hír, János; Kessler, Eugén & Kókay, József (1998–99): Középsõ-miocén õsmaradványok, a Mátraszõlõs, Rákóczi-kápolna alatti útbevágásból. I. A Mátraszõlõs 1. lelõhely
iddle Miocene fossils from the sections at the Rákóczi chapel at Mátraszőlős. Locality Mátraszõlõs I. ''Folia Historico Naturalia Musei Matraensis'' 23: 33–78.
PDF_fulltext*_Taylor,_P._Barry_&_van_Perlo,_Ber_(1998):_''Rails_:_a_guide_to_the_rails,_crakes,_gallinules,_and_coots_of_the_world''._Yale_University_Press,_New_Haven._
_External_links
*
*
{{Authority_control
Rallus.html" ;"title="ungarian with English abstract
PDF fulltext* Taylor, P. Barry & van Perlo, Ber (1998): ''Rails : a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots of the world''. Yale University Press, New Haven.
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Rallus">
Bird genera