NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola Vieillot, 1819
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.
These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a game species in some provinces and states, though rarely hunted. The Ecuadorian rail is often considered a subspecies, but some taxonomic authorities consider it distinct.
Wikipedia contributors, Virginia rail; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:31:03.817582+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Rallus limicola Vieillot, 1819
- Name authority
- Vieillot, 1819
- Common name
- Virginia Rail
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderGruiformes
- familyRallidae
- genusRallus Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesRallus limicola Vieillot, 1819
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Rallus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Water RailRallus aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| African RailRallus caerulescens J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| King RailRallus elegans Audubon, 1834 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mangrove RailRallus longirostris Boddaert, 1783 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Madagascar RailRallus madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Plain-flanked RailRallus wetmorei J. T. Zimmer & W. H. Phelps, 1944 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bogota RailRallus semiplumbeus P. L. Sclater, 1856 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ecuadorian RailRallus aequatorialis Sharpe, 1894 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Clapper RailRallus crepitans J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brown-cheeked RailRallus indicus Blyth, 1849 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Aztec RailRallus tenuirostris Ridgway, 1874 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=176221 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4RB9S. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.