Bird Guide
Guide to North American Birds
Explore more than 800 North American bird species, learn about their lives and habitats, and how climate change is impacting their ability to survive.
1 birds
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Limpkins
At a Glance
Looking like something between a crane and a rail, this odd wading bird has no close relatives. It is widespread in the American tropics, but enters our area only in Florida and southern Georgia -- only where it can satisfy its dietary requirement for a certain fresh-water snail. Mostly solitary, Limpkins may be overlooked as they stalk about in marshes and swamps; they draw attention with their piercing banshee wails, often heard at dawn or at night.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Saltwater Wetlands