Aramus guarauna (Linneaus 1766; 64-73cm) is the extant limpkin. It is often considerd transitional between rails and cranes. In the large reptile tree (1121 taxa) the limpkin nests basal to seagulls and hummingbirds, plovers and crowned cranes, common cranes and stilts, terns and loons, kingfishers and jabirus, murres and penguins. Limpkins are derived from Cretaceous sisters to hamerkops (Scopus) and stone curlews (Burhinus).

Extant limpkins eat snails. Primitive limpkins (Aramournis) probably had a more diverse diet, but is known from a distal tarsus.

Rallus limicola (Linneaus 1758; 20-27cm) is the extant Virginia rail. In the LRT it does not nest with coots and corn crakes, but betwen Aramus and the rest of the clade. The torso is taller than wide. This bird prefers wetlands.

Linnaeus C von 1758. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus 1. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiae [Stockholm], Laurentii Salvii.

Linneaus C von 1766. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. pp. 1–532. Holmiæ. (Salvius)

wiki/Aramus_limpkin
wiki/Virginia_rail