List of Gruiformes by population

This is a list of Gruiformes species by global population. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology.

Not all Gruiformes have had their numbers quantified, but species without population estimates are included in a secondary table below.

The IOC World Bird List (version 15.1) recognizes 190 species of Gruiformes, 21 of which are extinct. Species status within Gruiformes is particularly unresolved compared to other orders. As of December 2025, IOC lists six species which are considered subspecies by IUCN/BirdLife International. Similarly, IUCN/BirdLife International list four species which still have subspecies status in IOC taxonomies. See 'Notes' column of included tables for more information on these taxonomic disputes.

This list follows IUCN classifications for species names and taxonomy. Where IUCN classifications differ from other ornithological authorities, alternative names and taxonomies are noted.

Several species included as members of Gruiformes are extinct:

Réunion rail (Dryolimnas augusti) - last observed circa 1670. Hawkin's rail (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi) - went extinct in the latter half of 19th century. Chatham Islands rail (Cabalus modestus) - last observed between 1895-1900. Bar-winged rail (Hypotaenidia poeciloptera) - last observed in 1890. Dieffenbach's rail (Hypotaenidia dieffenbachii) - last observed in 1840. Tahiti rail (Hypotaenidia pacifica) - went extinct some time during the 1930s. Wake Island rail (Hypotaenidia wakensis) - last observed in 1945. Tristan moorhen (Gallinula nesiotis) - last observed in 1861. Mascarene coot (Fulica newtonii) - extinct since early 1700s. White swamphen (Porphyrio albus) - extinct by 1834. Marquesan swamphen (Porphyrio paepae) - extinct by 1937. North island takahē (Porphyrio mantelli) - last observed in 1894. Ascension crake (Mundia elpenor) - only record comes from 1656. Extinct by 1700. St. Helena rail (Aphanocrex podarces) - extinct by end of 16th century. St. Helena crake (Zapornia astrictocarpus) - extinct soon after discovery of St. Helena, ca. 1502. Kosrae crake (Zapornia monasa) - last observed in 1828; extinct by end of 19th century. Miller's rail or Tahiti crake (Zapornia nigra) - last observed in 1784. Hawaiian rail (Zapornia sandwichensis) - extinct by end of 1860s. Laysan rail (Zapornia palmeri) - extinct in 1944. Red rail (Aphanapteryx bonasia) - extinct by end of 17th century. Rodrigues rail (Erythromachus leguati) - last recorded in 1726, extinct by 1761.

Species by global population Common nameBinomial namePopulationStatusTrendNotesImage Samoan moorhen (Samoan woodhen)Gallinula pacifica 0-49 ? May be extinct. Last confirmed record in 1873; recent surveys have returned no evidence of an extant population. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Pareudiastes. Makira woodhen Gallinula silvestris 1-49 ? Last undisputed scientific observation occurred in 1953; however, unconfirmed sightings as recently as 2014 indicate the species persists in small numbers. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Pareudiastes. New Caledonian rail Gallirallus lafresnayanus 1-49 ? May be extinct. Last confirmed sighting in 1890, and no unconfirmed sightings since 1984. Guam railHypotaenidia owstoni1-49Species was formerly extinct in the wild. A reintroduced population is now established on Cocos. Zapata rail Mustelirallus cerverai 50-249 Total population is estimated to be 70-400 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Cyanolimnas. White-winged flufftail Sarothrura ayresi 50-249 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 226. South Island takahē (Takahē)Porphyrio hochstetteri 50-249 Total population is estimated to be 418 individuals. Whooping crane Grus americana 50-249 Total wild population is 483 individuals; the only self-sustaining breeding population contains 329 individuals, of whom less than 250 are mature. Black-winged trumpeterPsophia obscura50-400Note that IOC does not recognize as a full species; classifies as a subspecies of dark-winged trumpeter. Masked finfoot Heliopais personatus 108-304 Lord Howe woodhen Hypotaenidia sylvestris 200-286 Endemic to Lord Howe Island. Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 230. Plain-flanked rail Rallus wetmorei 200-1,000 Sakalava rail Zapornia olivieri 250-999 Slender-billed flufftail Sarothrura watersi 250-999 Okinawa rail Hypotaenidia okinawae 480 Total population is estimated to be 720 individuals. Talaud rail Gymnocrex talaudensis 500-2,500 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 500-1,000. Chestnut-headed flufftail Sarothrura lugens 670-6,700 Total population is estimated to be 1,000-10,000 individuals. Rusty-flanked crake Laterallus levraudi 1,000-2,499 Total population is estimated to be 1,500-3,750 individuals. Austral rail Rallus antarcticus 1,000-9,999 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 2,500-9,999. Rufous-faced crake Rufirallus xenopterus 1,000-10,000 IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Laterallus. Hawaiian coot Fulica alai 1,250-1,750 Total population is estimated to be, at minimum, 1,248– 2,577 individuals. New Britain rail (Pink-legged rail)Hypotaenida insignis 1,500-7,000 Total population is estimated to be 2,500-9,999 individuals. Rouget's rail Rougetius rougetii 1,500-7,000 Total population is estimated to be 2,500-9,999 individuals. Madagascar rail Rallus madagascariensis 1,600-6,700 Total population is estimated to be 2,500-10,000 individuals. Auckland Island rail (Auckland rail)Lewinia muelleri 2,000 Red-crowned crane Grus japonensis 2,000-2,650 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 2,300. Calayan rail Aptenorallus calayanensis 2,500-6,000 Tsingy forest railMentocrex beankaensis2,500-9,999 Roviana rail Hypotaenida rovianae 2,500-9,999 Population estimated is considered to be outdated. Talaud bush-hen Amaurornis magnirostris 2,500-20,000 Galapagos rail (Galapagos crake)Laterallus spilonota 3,300-6,700 Total population is estimated to be 5,000-10,000 individuals. Siberian crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus 3,500-4,000 Values given are for total population. Bogotá rail Rallus semiplumbeus 3,700 Total population is estimated to be 5,600 individuals. White-naped crane Antigone vipio 3,700-4,500 Total population is estimated to be 6,250-6,750 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Grus. Henderson Island crake (Red-eyed crake)Zapornia atra 3,800-8,400 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 6,400 individuals. To population is estimated to be 8,513 individuals. Junin rail (Junin crake)Laterallus tuerosi 4,100 Note that IOC taxonomy treats this species as a subspecies of black rail (L. jamaicensis). Horned coot Fulica cornuta 5,000-25,000 White-throated rail Dryolimnas cuvieri 5,099-7,499 ? Values are for total population. Likely a large underestimate, as numbers do not include an estimate for Madagascar, which composes the majority of the species' range. Inaccessible Island rail Laterallus rogersi 5,460-7,320 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 6,180. Total population is estimated to be 9,100 - 12,200 individuals. Wattled crane Grus carunculata 6,000-6,300 Total population is estimated to be 9,000-10,000 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International give the binomial name Bugeranus carunculatus. Black-necked crane Grus nigricollis 6,600-6,800 Total population is estimated to be 10,000-10,200 individuals. Black-tailed native-henTribonyx ventralis6,600-670,000Total population is estimated to be 10,000-1,000,000 individuals. Andaman crake Rallina canningi 6,700-17,000 Total population is estimated to be 10,000-25,000 individuals. Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis 6,700-17,000 Total population is estimated to be 10,000-25,000 individuals.Madagascar flufftailSarothrura insularis6,700-66,700?Total population is estimated to be 10,000-100,000 individuals. Spotted railPardirallus maculatus 7,000-18,000 Total population is estimated to be 11,000-26,700 individuals. Population may be larger than estimated. Yellow-breasted crake Laterallus flaviventer >7,000 ? Dot-winged crake Laterallus spilopterus 8,000-19,999 Gough Island moorhen (Gough moorhen)Gallinula comeri 8,500 Total population is estimated to be 13,000 individuals. Note that there are ~4,000 additional mature individuals on Tristan da Cunha, but they are introduced, and thus not counted in IUCN estimates. Hooded crane Grus monacha 9,750-13,000 Total population is estimated to be 15,000-18,000 individuals. Speckled railLaterallus notatus10,000?Value is for total population. May be a large underestimate. IUCN/BirdLife International list species in genus Coturnicops.Ridgway's railRallus obsoletus10,000-19,999Slaty-breasted wood-railAramides saracura10,000-25,000Azure galliulePorphyrio flavirostris10,000-25,000Values are for total population; likely an underestimate.Striped crakeAenigmatolimnas marginalis10,000-25,000?IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Amaurornis. Black railLaterallus jamaicensis10,000-49,999Giant cootFulica gigantea10,000-50,000African crakeCrex egregia10,000-1,000,000?Values given are for total population, but estimate is considered to be outdated.Buff-banded railHypotaenidia philippensis10,600-141,000Total population is estimated to be 15,850-210,991 individuals.Blackish railPardirallus nigricans13,300-73,300?Total population is estimated to be 20,000-110,000 individuals.Mexican rail (Aztec rail)Rallus tenuirostris15,000 Brown wood-railAramides wolfi >15,000 No formal estimates have been quantified. Values assume a very conservative species density from limited surveys. Sarus crane Antigone antigone 15,000-17,500 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 16,000. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Grus.Rufous-sided crakeLaterallus melanophaius16,700-66,700Total population is estimated to be 24,999-99,999 individuals.Red-fronted cootFulica rufifrons16,700-66,700Total population is estimated to be 25,000-100,000 individuals.Red-and-white crakeRufirallus leucopyrrhus16,700-66,700Total population is estimated to be 25,000-100,000 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Laterallus.Allen's gallinulePorphyrio alleni16,700-667,000?Total population is estimated to be 25,000-1,000,000 individuals.Lesser moorhenParagallinula angulata16,700-667,000Total population is estimated to be 25,000-1,000,000 individuals. Blue crane Grus paradisea 17,000-30,000 Total population is estimated to be 25,550-45,132 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International give the binomial name Anthropoides paradiseus. Grey crowned crane Balearica regulorum 20,100-24,600 Total population is estimated to be 30,200-36,900 individuals. African finfootPodica senegalensis30,000-823,000?Total population is estimated to be 45,002-1,235,000 individuals.BrolgaAntigone rubicunda35,000-74,000Total population is estimated to be 52,000-110,000 individuals. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Grus. Black crowned crane Balearica pavonina 44,000-74,000 Total population is estimated to be 66,000-111,000 individuals. Russet-naped wood-railAramides albiventris50,000-499,999 Rufous-necked wood-rail Aramides axillaris 50,000-499,999 Ocellated crakeRufirallus schomburgkii50,000-499,999IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Micropygia. Uniform crakeAmaurolimnas concolor 50,000-499,999 Paint-billed crakeMustelirallus erythrops50,000-499,999?IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Neocrex. Ruddy crake Laterallus ruber 50,000-499,999 Mangrove rail Rallus longirostris 50,000-500,000 Ash-throated crakeMustelirallus albicollis66,700-667,000Total population is estimated to be 99,999-999,999 individuals.