Gruiformes is the order of birds that houses the rails, coots, limpkin and cranes.  In fact, the very name of the order means "crane-like".  Gruiformes is comprised of three families, nine genera, and twelve species in Eastern North America. Gruiformes prefer marshy wetlands for habitat.

• Rails are shy, secretive birds in the family Rallidae which prefer running and swimming to flying.  Some have long beaks for foraging in shallow water, but some have shorter beaks which can be used for the same purpose.  Representative species include the Virginia Rail, Black Rail, and Sora.  
• The Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, and American Coot are in the Rail family but resemble ducks more than other rails, and like ducks, can often be found floating on ponds.  The Moorhen is an avid swimmer, the Coot dives for aquatic plants, and the Gallinule rarely swims at all.  
• The Limpkin is the only extant species in the family Aramidae, is most closely related to the cranes, and has a small range in North America, more or less confined to Florida.  It searches the edges of ponds and streams looking for mollusks.  It has a wild, almost frightening call.  
• Cranes, of the order Gruidae, are easily the largest and most gregarious birds in the order, often found in flocks, and known for epic migrations.  They have cacophonous mating and courtship displays, which involve jumping and dancing as well.  The two American species are the Sandhill Crane and the endangered Whooping Crane, with less than 600 individuals in the wild.

The secretive Black Rail

The King Rail after a successful bout of crustacean-hunting

The unmistakeable Purple Gallinule, superficially resembling a pied duck more than its Rail cousins

The Limpkin, whose eerie call haunts the Florida marshes which it inhabits

The endangered Whooping Crane in flight with unmistakeable black wingtips on gorgeous white wings