Limpkin

Aramus guarauna (Linnaeus, 1766)

Limpkin, Aramus guarauna, breeds from south-east USA through Middle America and across South America to Argentina. It is a bird of freshwater marshes, swamps and mangroves, and in the Caribbean it also uses dry brushland. In Mexico and northern Central America it reaches 1,500 m. It is the only living member of Aramidae and belongs in Gruiformes. Its long, downcurved bill is adapted for taking snails from their shells, and the tip often bends slightly to the right. The species is also known for a loud, wailing call, most often heard at night and around dawn and dusk.

Order

Gruiformes

Family

Aramidae — Limpkin

Breeding range

North America, Middle America, South America: se USA to Argentina