Rallus is a genus of wetland birds of the rail family.
Rails are shy, hen-shaped, marsh birds. They walk about in the shelter of dense grasses and are more often heard than seen. Mysterious voices in the marsh. Short tails. Short rounded wings. Brief, reluctant flight with legs dangling below.
These are slim, long-billed rails with slender legs. Their laterally flattened bodies are an adaptation to life in wet reedbeds and marshes, 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.
