Madagascar Forest Rail (Mentocrex kioloides)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Madagascar Forest Rail

Mentocrex kioloides (Pucheran, 1845)

28 cmLength246 gWeight

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar

Madagascar Forest Rail has been recorded at 11 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ranomafana NPMadagascar245 records
  2. Andasibe Mantadia National ParkMadagascar199 records
  3. V.O.I. M.M.AMadagascar184 records
More places
  1. PerinetMadagascar131 records
  2. Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar123 records
  3. Analamazaotra Forest StationMadagascar105 records
  4. Ranomafana NP – VariboloMadagascar75 records
  5. Ranomafana NP—Sahamalaotra TrackMadagascar64 records
  6. Ranomafana NP – VohipararaMadagascar52 records
  7. Iaroka ForestMadagascar4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Madagascar

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Madagascar Forest Rail?

The Madagascar Forest Rail is about 28 cm long and weighs around 246 g.

Where does the Madagascar Forest Rail live?

Its breeding range: Africa: northwestern, eastern Madagascar. It is most often recorded in Madagascar.

When is the best time to see the Madagascar Forest Rail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Madagascar Forest Rail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Madagascar Forest Rail as Least Concern.

What does the Madagascar Forest Rail eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Madagascar Forest Rail in?

It belongs to the family Flufftails & Forest Rails (Sarothruridae), order Gruiformes.

At a glance

Length
28 cm
Weight
246 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
122 mm
Tail
46 mm
Bill
29 mm
Tarsus
42 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: northwestern, eastern Madagascar

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Flufftails & Forest Rails Sarothruridae
Genus
Mentocrex

Other birds in the genus Mentocrex

Tsingy Forest RailTsingy Forest RailMentocrex beankaensisWhite-spotted FlufftailWhite-spotted FlufftailSarothrura pulchraBuff-spotted FlufftailBuff-spotted FlufftailSarothrura elegansRed-chested FlufftailRed-chested FlufftailSarothrura rufaChestnut-headed FlufftailChestnut-headed FlufftailSarothrura lugensStreaky-breasted FlufftailStreaky-breasted FlufftailSarothrura boehmiWhite-winged FlufftailWhite-winged FlufftailSarothrura ayresiStriped FlufftailStriped FlufftailSarothrura affinisMadagascar FlufftailMadagascar FlufftailSarothrura insularisSlender-billed FlufftailSlender-billed FlufftailSarothrura watersi
Madagascar Forest Rail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Allan Hopkins. ↗

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