rail
Any wading bird of the family Rallidae, including the rails proper (genus Rallus), coots, moorhens, and gallinules. Rails have dark plumage, a short neck and wings, and long legs. They are 10–45 cm/4–18 in long.
Many oceanic islands have their own species of rail, often flightless, such as the Guam rail R. owstoni and Auckland Island rail R. muelleri. Several of these species have declined sharply, usually because of introduced predators such as rats and cats.
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