NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Madagascar Rail
Rallus madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
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 Madagascar rail (Rallus madagascariensis) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
This is a medium-sized rail measuring 25 cm (9.8 in). Its plumage is mostly plain brown with some streaks on the upperparts and upper breast. Its face and throat are greyish and its undertail is white. The bill is red and the legs are dark.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and freshwater marshes.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Wikipedia contributors, Madagascar rail; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:45:40.554271+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Rallus madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
- Name authority
- J. Verreaux, 1833
- Common name
- Madagascar 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 madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
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 |
| 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 |
| Virginia RailRallus limicola Vieillot, 1819 | RallidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
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=176228 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:4RB9V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.