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 Iberá National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Iberá National Park
Giant Wood-Rail
Aramides ypecaha
Rufous-sided Crake
Laterallus melanophaius
Ash-throated Crake
Porzana albicollis
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
American Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
Gray-cowled Wood-Rail
Aramides cajanea
Plumbeous Rail
Pardirallus sanguinolentus
Spotted Rail
Pardirallus maculatus
Yellow-breasted Crake
Porzana flaviventer
Azure Gallinule
Porphyrio flavirostris
Spot-flanked Gallinule
Gallinula melanops
White-winged Coot
Fulica leucoptera
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 Iberá National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Limpkin sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 349 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Limpkin in Iberá National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Limpkin in Iberá National Park in our monthly data.