Photo: Totodu74 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Grey-throated Rail

Canirallus oculeus

Grey-throated Rail (Canirallus oculeus) — Cranes & Rails of Africa.

The Grey-throated Rail (Canirallus oculeus) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 277 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
Genus Canirallus
Species oculeus

Where it lives

Sierra Leone to Ghana, southern Nigeria to Uganda and DR Congo

Africa

Quick facts

Weight: 277 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Grey-throated Rail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Grey-throated Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Grey-throated Rail (Canirallus oculeus) is a member of the Rallidae family, within the order Gruiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sierra Leone to Ghana, s Nigeria to Uganda and DR Congo.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 277 g, with a wing length of about 16.7 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.6 million km².

Songs & calls

Grey-throated Rail — Call, song

Recorded by Joseph K. Afrifa Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Grey-throated Rail?

The Grey-throated Rail is a large bird that weighs around 277 g.

Where does the Grey-throated Rail live?

The Grey-throated Rail is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sierra Leone to Ghana, s Nigeria to Uganda and DR Congo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Grey-throated Rail belong to?

The Grey-throated Rail (Canirallus oculeus) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Grey-throated Rail eat?

The Grey-throated Rail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Grey-throated Rail migrate?

The Grey-throated Rail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Grey-throated Rail endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Grey-throated Rail make?

1 real field recording of the Grey-throated Rail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Grey-throated Rail's range?

The Grey-throated Rail has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².