CUBAN GRUIFORMES - Coots, Cranes, Rails

The birds in this order come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Many species are brown, gray, and white, but some species, like the purple gallinule are more brightly colored. Most species are wading birds and fly with their necks out and their feet stretched out behind them.

Most of the species live and nest on the ground both parents incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. Chicks are precocial and feed themselves shortly after hatching. Males and females usually look alike.

There are 11 species in this order found in Cuba. Species include the yellow-breasted crake, the spotted rail, the purple gallinule, and the sandhill crane. One species, the Zapata rail is endemic to Cuba.

Birds of Cuba >>

Birds of Cuba Photo Gallery >>

CUBAN GRUIFORMES - Coots, Cranes, Rails

Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced Breeds in NH (Birds)
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Location
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image

Species	Sounds	Occurrence
Black Rail - Laterallus jamaicensis		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Clapper Rail - Rallus longirostris		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Antonio Silveira
King Rail - Rallus elegans		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Todd Wilson
Sora - Porzana carolina		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Chris Parrish
Yellow-breasted Crake - Porzana flaviventer		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Alex Lees
Zapata Rail - Cyanolimnas cerverai	No Audio Available	Endemic
Spotted Rail - Pardirallus maculatus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Purple Gallinule -Porphyrio martinicus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Glauco Alves Pereira
American Coot - Fulica americana		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Daniel Lane
Limpkin - Aramus guarauna		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Sjoerd Mayer
Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer

Additional Information

Key: Profile Photos Video Audio

Black Rail - Laterallus jamaicensis
The black rail is found in marshes and wetlands along the Atlantic Coast from southern New England south to Florida and the Caribbean. It is also found on the Gulf Coast and in parts of South and Central America. The black rail is also found in some inland areas in the U.S. in California and Kansas.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Clapper Rail - Rallus longirostris
The clapper rail is found along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to South America. It is also found along the Gulf Coast and the Pacific Coast from California to Mexico.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

King Rail - Rallus elegans
Found in the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean, the King Rail has a very large range that stretches from the Midwestern United States to the Atlantic Ocean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sora - Porzana carolina
The sora breeds from British Columbia east to the Maritime Islands and south to California, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. It usually winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from California and Virginia south to Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Yellow-breasted Crake - Porzana flaviventer
The yellow-breasted crake is found in southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Zapata Rail - Cyanolimnas cerverai
The Zapata rail is found in the Zapata swamp in southwest Cuba.
Source:BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spotted Rail - Pardirallus maculatus
The spotted rail is found in southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Purple Gallinule -Porphyrio martinicus
The purple gallinule is found in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma. It winters on the Gulf Coast. It is also found in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Coot - Fulica americana
The American coot is found in Canada, much of the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Coot - Fulica americana
The American coot is a social bird and lives in flocks.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Limpkin - Aramus guarauna
The limpkin feeds almost exclusively on apple snails.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Limpkin - Aramus guarauna
The limpkin looks like a cross between a crane and a rail.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Limpkin - Aramus guarauna
The limpkin is also known as the crying bird because of the sound it makes. 
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Limpkin - Aramus guarauna
The limpkin lives in woody swamps and marshes.
Source: National Zoo Bird Photo Gallery Intended Audience: General Reading Level: N/A

Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis
In North America, the sandhill crane breeds as far north as Alaska and the Arctic coast of Canada south into the Great Lakes region and west across Idaho, Nevada and Oregon. It also breeds in the extreme southeastern United States and Cuba. Northern populations winter in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Florida and northern Mexico. The sandhill crane is also found in Russia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis
The sandhill crane is found in grasslands, wetlands, and meadows.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis
The sandhill crane migrates in groups that can number in the thousands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School