Swinhoe’s Rail
Coturnicops exquisitus
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)
- Order
- Gruiformes
Overview
Swinhoe's rail (Coturnicops exquisitus) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae occurring in northeastern Asia. It was known only in two locations in Manchuria and southeastern Siberia, separated by more than 1000 km; however, in 2018, a new breeding population was found in the Amur region, situated between the two. Its natural habitats are swamps, freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, and arable land. It is the world's smallest rail at 13 cm (5.2 in) and 24.5 grams.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds Siberia and northern Manchuria; winters to southern China and Ryukyu Islands (southern Japan).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Swinhoe's rail
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
