Rail Facts For Kids. Fun Information About Rails

Rails are secretive water birds designed with narrow bodies that help them slip through dense marsh vegetation. These shy birds live in wetlands, swamps, and grasslands around the world. Rails have long toes that help them walk on floating plants and muddy ground without sinking.

There are about 150 species of rails including coots, gallinules, and moorhens. These birds are more often heard than seen as they make loud calls from thick vegetation. Rails eat insects, small fish, seeds, and water plants, and many species can swim well even though they prefer walking through shallow water and marshes.