About Cranes and Allies
Gruiformes are a diverse order of 190 species that includes the cranes, rails, coots, flufftails and allies, inhabiting wetlands, grasslands and forests worldwide.
Overview
Gruiformes are a diverse order of 190 species that includes the cranes, rails, coots, flufftails and allies, inhabiting wetlands, grasslands and forests worldwide. Cranes are tall, long-necked, vocally resonant birds famous for their elaborate courtship dances; rails are secretive wetland dwellers. The order is ecologically varied, ranging from iconic, endangered cranes to ubiquitous moorhens.
Classification
The order Cranes and Allies (Latin: GRUIFORMES) comprises 6 families and roughly 190 living species. It is one of 44 orders that make up the class Aves.
Diversity & Distribution
Gruiformes are a diverse order of 190 species that includes the cranes, rails, coots, flufftails and allies, inhabiting wetlands, grasslands and forests worldwide.
Notable Families
Rails, Crakes & Coots, Flufftails & Forest Rails, Cranes, Finfoots, Trumpeters, Limpkin and others.
