this family of the crane-birds is a quite old group of 138-140 types, from what 11-13 were wiped out however already by effect of the human being. The spread of this family quite well definable from other bird-groups is world-wide (exception Antarctica). Even remote islands were populated by Rallen, of which some receded its flight-fortune there, since no ground-enemies existed. Destroyed many particular island-forms first the colonization through the human being and from it dragged in pets (dogs, cats, rats) and brought further at the edge of the extinction.
Characteristics Rallen are small until moderate-sized ground-inhabitants. You at the side compressed bodies as well as the spinal column quite movable also sideways enables the birds to move silently and skillfully through the dense vegetation of meadows, swamps, mangrove-thickets and similarly wet biotopes. The legs of the Rallen are middle-long in the relationship to the torso until long and carry very long toes, so that the animals can run also over soft, muddy ground without sinking into it. Only the Bläßhühner (subfamily Fulicinae) adapted themselves to a life on the water and are on open water-surfaces in often large flocks, while almost (subfamily Rallinae) without exception unsociably very shyly the "real Rallen", and hidden lives. The toes of the Bläßhühner carry lateral Auslappungen while all other Rallen don't have any swimming-rags. Pond-chickens derive from the way of life and approach them relatives Rallen to the Bläßhühnern over; in the emergency, all Rallen can swim however surely.
Types, shape The plumage of these crane-birds is very soft and usually inconspicuously brown, gray or blackish colored. Some types have green, blue or violet gleaming feathers, as the Takahe and purple-chickens (type Porphyrio), however shining the 43 cm big emerald-chicken (Porphyrio madagascariensis) under it. Also the two types of the sultan-chickens (type Porphyrula) carry one blue-green gleaming plumage. Legs, beak and the forehead-shield at the beak-root often are colorfully colored shining, like Z. B. with the 38 cm long Blutfußralle or Buschralle (Himantornis haematopus) Africa (Liberia as far as to the Congo).
The wings of the Rallen are short and rounded off; they lie narrowly flat on the body like with hen-birds through its vault. Also the mostly short, powerful tail reminds of chickens. Some types have however also longer and easily downward bent beaks, like Z. B. the members of the type Rallus (Wasserralle) and means and South America's forest-living in Rallen; according to the 7 types of the type Aramides, among them the 45 cm big Ypecaharalle (Aramides ypecaha) as well as the Cayenne-Ralle, A. cajanea. Rallen carry its short beak "gestelzt (directed steeply upward)" normally. With most Rallen, both sexes resemble from; some types have however differently colored old-age-clothes, like Z. B. the moorhens (type Porzana). The (seen systematically) wrong name "chicken" refers to smaller in general, kurzschnäbelige Rallenarten.
Way of life Although some types, some moorhens, put back wide distances to its winter-quarters, Rallen only make use very grudging from its wings. But also the migratory birds rather escape on foot outside the Zugzeit. In the flight, the long legs hang diagonally downward.
The majority of the Rallenarten eats various animal and vegetable food; some types, according to the 50 cm big Wekaralle (Gallirallus australis) New Zealand, lives "predatorily" exclusively, others - like Z. B. the purple-chickens - (as the Rallenkranich, a "connection-limb" of the cranes) pure vegetarians are and often hold on to the food at the mastication of bigger scraps with the feet.
Reproduction Most Rallen live monogamously and nest very hidden in dense shore-vegetation. The nest is erected on bent grew over with what the birds interweave the substructure firmly with the actual nest. Many times, a roof from bent reed protects the Nistmulde as well as the schwarzbedunten squabs. Young Rallen are distinct Nestflüchter; a small claw, with whose help the small birds around-climb nimbly in the Pflanzenbewuchs, is at each wrist. Initially, they remove its feed directly from the beak of the alto-birds.
In the paläarktischen area (Eurasia besides south and southeast-Asia), 16 Rallenarten brood, further 6-7 types than Irrgäste appear from Africa, Near east and North America occasionally. Beside the water-living in Bläß and pond-chickens, the other Rallen live in swampy shore-vegetation or in more extended moist-landscapes.
Moorhens (type Porzana)) they are the species-richest representatives of the Rallenfamilie in Europe; with the 23 cm long one, mainly in the twilight active dot-moorhen (Porzana porzana) hardly distinguishes the brood-partners for itself, while that only 18 cm big, male dwarf-moorhen (P). pusilla, to distinguish well through its gray forefront of the brown female, is. The 27 cm big quail-king (Crex crex) lives in dense grass-continuances, why one calls also Wiesenralle it. its scientific name returns the typical, creaky reputations this Rallenvogels onomatopoeic.
Endangering Dot-moorhen (Porzana porzana) and quail-king (Crex crex) are led with us on the red list of the strongly endangered types.
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