Rallidae

Rallidae is the rail family, a large cosmopolitan group of small to medium sized terrestrial or semi-amphibious birds established by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815 and placed in the order Gruiformes, including the crakes, coots and gallinules alongside the rails proper. The family comprises roughly 40 living genera and about 148 species, occurring on every continent except Antarctica but absent from dry desert, polar or freezing regions and areas above the snow line. Rails range from 12 to 63 centimeters in length and 20 grams to 3 kilograms in weight, show minimal sexual dimorphism, and have short rounded wings and, in many species, long toes adapted to walking on soft, uneven ground; bill shape varies widely across the family.