Robert Siegel
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Rails, moorhens, nativehens, gallinules, swamphens, and other rallidae

Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae (rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots

There is a proposal to create a separate order: Ralliformes

Species depicted - 12 species in 7 genera (out of around 40 extant genera)

+ Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
+ Sora Porzana carolina
+ Flightless rail (Tribonyx mortierii) - native hen
+ Florida or common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
+ European gallinule (Gallinula chloropus)
+ American purple gallinule or purple moorhen (Porphyrio martinica)
+ Western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
+ Gray-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus)
+ African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)
+ Paint-billed crake (Mustelirallus erythrops)
+ American coot (Fulica americana)
+ Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
+ Rails - misc

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Notes from Porphyrio page:
I have tried to make sense out of the nomenclature / classification of these birds.
I had some excellent assistance in this regard from Robert Pittell, my former pediatrician.
Among other places, both the Porphyrio martinica and Porphyrio porphyrio can be found at Green Cay in Boyton Beach.

Porphyrio martinica is a new world bird.
It is also known as the Purple gallinule, although it is not actually in the genus Gallinula.
It is also known as a purple moorhen, although most of the moorhens are actually in the genus Gallinula. And there are also males even though they are called hens. Hmmmm.
Oh yeah, there is also a great deal of confusion on the web as to whether the species is P. martinica or P. martinica.

Porphyrio porphyrio is an old world invader. It is also called a purple swamphen, even though, as noted, that includes the males. According to Wikipedia, it is also called in various places "Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule or Purple Coot." And, yes, except for the coot part, that is identical to Porphyrio martinica with all the caveats listed above.

And to make matters worse, the American Coot (Fulica americana) is in a different genus and is also known as a mud hen.)

Moor? Swamp? Mud? Apparently, moorhen are sometimes called marsh hens or river chicken. Ugh! This is fowl indeed.

What bird brain named these?
Perhaps that is why scientists used the Latinized names.
The only problem there is that many taxa have just undergone reclassification and naming due to newly acquired DNA sequence data.
For example, some of the Porphyrio used to be Porphyrula.
So you really cannot win on that score either.

Despite all my railing, at least they are all in the family Rallidae.

April 6, 2016

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Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)

palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 16, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
May 22, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
February 11, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
February 11, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
May 27, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
May 27, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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Pickled rail

palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
May 27, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
May 27, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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Swimming

palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 13, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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Rail tail

palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
King tide
Palo Alto Baylands
May 27, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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At water's edge

palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 13, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 13, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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The clapper

pix

Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
November 23, 2013
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Reclap

clapper rail

Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
November 25, 2013

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Clapper rail stare down

clapper rail

Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
January 16, 2014

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When clapper rails pretend to be martians

clapper rail

Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
January 16, 2014

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Clap chadowed

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Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
December 28, 2019
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
December 28, 2019
Canon 7D markII

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Rail Tracks

pix
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Stuffed
Palo Alto Baylands
February 9, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Stuffed
Palo Alto Baylands
February 9, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus)
Family: Rallidae (rails)
Stuffed
Palo Alto Baylands
February 9, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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Sora (Porzana carolina)

palo alto baylands
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Palo Alto Baylands
Decemebr 14, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Palo Alto Baylands
Decemebr 14, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Palo Alto Baylands
Decemebr 15, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Palo Alto Baylands
Decemebr 15, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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Sora-flage

palo alto baylands
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Palo Alto Baylands
Decemebr 15, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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emily renzel wetlands

Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Emily Renzel Wetlands
November 12, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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emily renzel wetlands

Sora (Porzana carolina)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots, sora, crakes)
Emily Renzel Wetlands
November 12, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Flightless rail (Tribonyx mortierii)

Tasmania

Flightless rail

rail
Tribonyx mortierii
Tasmania 2012
April 6, 2012

The name changed from Gallinula mortierii since my last visit.

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Endemic

rail
Gallinula mortierii
April 6, 2012

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Thunder Chook

thunder chook
Tasmanian nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii)
Giants Table
Tasmania 2015
August 31, 2015
Canon 7DMark2
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Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)

Florida moorhen

gallinule
Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
Boyton Beach
November 27, 2012

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knobby kneed moorchild

common gallinule
Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
Green Cay, Florida
October 23, 2010

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emily renzel wetlands

Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
Emily Renzel Wetlands
June 17, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Common gallinule

galapagos

Common gallinule or common moorhen (Gallinula galeata)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
Galápagos
July 8, 2017
Canon 7Dmark2

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European moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

More hen

Eurasian common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus)
London
May 7, 2004
Canon Rebel
with Geoffrey Tyack

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Purple gallinule or purple moorhen (Porphyrio martinica)

Purple gallinule

florida

American purple gallinule or purple moorhen (Porphyrio martinica)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, sora, coots)
Florida
March 30, 2009

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The bird purple

royal palm

American purple gallinule or purple moorhen (Porphyrio martinica)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, sora, coots)
Royal Palm, Florida
April 7, 2017
Canon 7Dmark2

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Western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Purple swamphen

swamphen
Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
December, 2013
Florida

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wakodahatchee

Western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Family: Rallidae (rails, gallinules, coots)
Wakodahatchee
Boynton Beach, Florida

April 6, 2017
Canon 7Dmark2

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Gray-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus)

florida 2020
Gray-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus)
Family: Rallidae (rails, coots, gallinules, swamphens)
Wakodahatee, Florida
October 15, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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florida 2020
Gray-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus)
Family: Rallidae (rails, coots, gallinules, swamphens)
Wakodahatee, Florida
October 15, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)

Swamped

African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Livingstone water works
Livingstone, Zambia
Canon 7Dmark2
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Paint-billed crake (Mustelirallus erythrops)

Crake

galapagos

Paint-billed crake (Mustelirallus erythrops)
Family: Rallidae (rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots
Terramar
Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos 2024
July 8, 2024
Canon R5

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American coot (Fulica americana)

Coot portrait

coot
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
2012

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Fissipalmate

coot feet
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
2012

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Coot foot

palo alto baylands
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Gruiformes (cranes, rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 13, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Gruiformes (cranes, rails)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 13, 2020
Canon 7D markII

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When coots do the chicken polka

coot

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
May 10, 2015

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Hellyer 2020
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Hellyer Park
July 31, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Complaining adolescent

Hellyer 2020
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Hellyer Park
July 31, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Made in America

Hellyer 2020
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Hellyer Park
July 31, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Coot

baylands

American coot (Fulica americana)
Palo Alto Baylands
with Photographing Nature class
December 3, 2016
Canon 7DmarkII

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Plural coot

baylands

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
with Photographing Nature class
December 3, 2016
Canon 7DmarkII

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Coot and reflection

baylands

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
November 29, 2015
Canon 7Dmark2

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Coot approaching

Hellyer 2020
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Hellyer Park Winter 2020 Bioblitz
February 8, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Coots retreating

jasper ridge

American coot (Fulica americana)
Jasper Ridge
February 3, 2018
Canon 7Dmark2

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Some old

baylands

American coot (Fulica americana)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 11, 2018
Canon 7DmarkII

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A covert of coots

baylands

American coot (Fulica americana)
Palo Alto Baylands
February 24, 2018
Canon 7DmarkII

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4 coots

palo alto baylands 2019

American Coot (Fulica americana )
Palo Alto Baylands
With Photographing Nature class
March 9, 2019
Canon 7D markII

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palo alto baylands 2019

American Coot (Fulica americana )
Palo Alto Baylands
With Photographing Nature class
March 11, 2019
Canon 7D markII

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'

palo alto baylands 2019

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Palo Alto Baylands
With Photographing Nature class
March 11, 2019
Canon 7D markII

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'

Confluence of coots

shoreline park

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae (ralls, coots, gallinules)
Shoreline Park
February 22, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Mowing a path through the coots

shoreline park

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae (ralls, coots, gallinules)
Shoreline Park
February 22, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Seafood snack

Stevens Creek Shoreline

American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae (rails, coots, gallinules, moorhens, sora, crakes)
Stevens Creek Shoreline
November 13, 2020
with Luke Beckman
Canon 7Dmark2

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Odd couple

emily renzel wetlands

Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
Family: Anatidae (duck, geese, swans)
American coot (Fulica americana)
Family: Rallidae
Emily Renzel Wetlands
November 14, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

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Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)

Ready, Aim, Coot

Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
taken in Christchurch Meadow, Oxford
May 2, 2004
Canon Digital Rebel
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misc

Baylands rail (Rallus catwalkus)

pix

Palo Alto Baylands
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Birds

+ By type
+ By location
+ Miscellaneous

Other Gruiiformes

+ Cranes
+ Coots
+ Moorhens

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Last modified: July 17, 2024
Created: February 11, 2018 (adapted from rails.html)
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.


http://web.stanford.edu/~siegelr/birdz/rallidae.html