Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Silhouette: lwolfartist (photograph), T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyAramidae (Limpkins)
- GenusAramus (Limpkins)
- SpeciesAramus guarauna (Limpkin)
About the Limpkin
The limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a large wading bird related to rails and cranes, and the only extant species in the family Aramidae. It is found mostly in wetlands in warm parts of the Americas, from Florida to northern Argentina, but individuals have been reported as far north as Wisconsin, and Southern Ontario. It feeds on molluscs, with the diet dominated by apple snails of the genus Pomacea. Its name derives from its seeming limp when it walks. It has also been called "carrao", "courlan", and "crying bird".
The limpkin is placed in the family Aramidae, which is in turn placed within the crane and rail order Gruiformes. The limpkin had been suggested to be close to the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, based upon shared bird lice. The Sibley–Ahlquist taxonomy of birds, based upon DNA–DNA hybridization, suggested that the limpkin's closest relatives were the Heliornithidae finfoots, and Sibley and Monroe even placed the species in that family in 1990. More recent studies have found little support for this relationship. More recent DNA studies have confirmed a close relationship with particularly the cranes, with the limpkin remaining as... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Limpkin in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
Sungrebe
Heliornis fulica
Gray-breasted Crake
Laterallus exilis
Grey-winged Trumpeter
Psophia crepitans
Gray-cowled Wood-Rail
Aramides cajanea
American Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
Rufous-sided Crake
Laterallus melanophaius
Azure Gallinule
Porphyrio flavirostris
Chestnut-headed Crake
Anurolimnas castaneiceps
Uniform Crake
Amaurolimnas concolor
Blackish Rail
Pardirallus nigricans
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Limpkin in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Limpkin sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, based on 732 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Limpkin in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?
September has the highest sighting rate for Limpkin in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in our monthly data.