David Woodfall / Corncrake (Crex crex) walking at dawn on Machair, North Uist, Scotland, UK, June.

John Shaw / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) reaches for giant bulrush (Schoenoplectis californicus) seeds. Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida, USA, April.

Guy Edwardes / Allen's / Lesser gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) walking on waterlilies, Chobe River, Botswana.

Guy Edwardes / Black crake (Amaurornis flavirostra) standing on lily pads, Chobe River, Botswana.

John Waters / Close-up of a Coot (Fulica atra) walking on ice, Greylake RSPB Reserve, Somerset Levels, England, UK, February.

Ingo Arndt / Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) nest from Germany in collection at Uebersee-Museum, Bremen, Germany.

Ingo Arndt / Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) nest from Germany in collection at Uebersee-Museum, Bremen, Germany.

Bence Mate / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) reflected in water, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary.

Melvin Grey / Purple gallinule (Porphyrula martinica) adult. Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida, USA, May.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrula martinica) in mangrove swamp. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

Claudio Contreras / American coot (Fulica americana americana) in mist, with Popocatepetl volcano behind, Xochimilco wetlands, Mexico City, Mexico. November.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) perched on branch, Lake Naivasha, Kenya.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Tasmanian native hen (Gallinula mortierii) walking through grass, Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia. Endemic.

Alan Murphy / Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) calling, British Columbia, Canada

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica Atra) female feeding its chick. The Netherlands. June 2014

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica Atra) young chick. The Netherlands. June 2014

David Pattyn / Adult Coot (Fulica atra) diving for food. The Netherlands. March 2013.

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica Atra) female feeding its chick. The Netherlands. June 2014

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica Atra) female feeding its chick in between vegetation. The Netherlands. June 2014

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica atra) adult close-up. Backlit at dawn. The Netherlands. April 2014

Tui De Roy / Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) family in large breeding pen, Burwood Breeding Center, New Zealand

Jabruson / African Crake (Crecopsis egregia) portrait in long grass ,Mboko savannah-forest mozaic, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Karl Seddon / Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis), Australia

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) moving across waterlily leaves, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, April

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) moving across waterlily covered surface, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, March

Bertie Gregory / 2020VISION / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) running on a frozen lagoon, Brownsea Island, Dorset, England, UK, December

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) adult walking on frozen lake at dusk, backlit, Derbyshire, UK, February

Donald M. Jones / Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus), Everglades National Park, Florida

Mitsuaki Iwago / Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) walking across lily pads, North America

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Baillon's crake (Porzana pusilla) feeding whilst standing on reed. Oman, March.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) walking on ice. Denmark, March.

Ann & Steve Toon / Black crake (Amaurornis flavirostra), Zimanga game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, May

Roger Powell / Common Coots (Fulica atra) fighting over territory, one driving another away. Potterick Carr Nature Reserve, Doncaster, Yorkshire, UK, March.

Roger Powell / Western Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) feeding on the frozen pondside edge, Low Hauxley Nature Reserve, Druridge, Northumberland, England, UK, January.

Mike Read / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) at the edge of a water channel, Radipole Lake RSPB Reserve, Weymouth, Dorset, England, UK, March

David Tipling / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) male, North Norfolk, England, UK, February.

Robin Chittenden / Little crake (Porzana parva). Cyprus. April.

Robin Chittenden / Little crake (Porzana parva) feeding in water amongst stones. Cyprus. April.

Ernie Janes / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) feeding in river Norfolk, England, UK. April.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) feeding on Lily (Nymphaeaceae) flower. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) walking on Lilies (Nymphaeaceae). Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) striding over Lily (Nymphaeaceae) pads. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) striding over Lily (Nymphaeaceae) pads. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) feeding on Lily (Nymphaeaceae). Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

Oscar Dewhurst / Giant coot (Fulica gigantea) feeding in an Andean lake. Arequipa, Peru. September

Oscar Dewhurst / Giant coot (Fulica gigantea) and young chick in an Andean lake. Arequipa, Peru. September

Oscar Dewhurst / Andean coot (Fulica ardesiaca) swimming in Lake Titicaca, Puno, Peru. September

Staffan Widstrand / White-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) in Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Staffan Widstrand / White-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) bathing, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Terry Whittaker / Coot (Fulica atra) nesting in old inflatable boat on canal. Amsterdam. Netherlands, April.

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica atra) adult feeding its young, Valkenhorst Nature Reserve, Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, June

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica atra) adult feeding its young, Valkenhorst Nature Reserve, Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, June

Ernie Janes / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) attacking Canada goose (Branta canadensis) watched by Coots (Fulica atra) Fleet lagoon, Dorset, England, UK, June.

Holger Duty/ BIA / Coot (Fulica atra) on ice, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Eurasion Coot (Fulica atra) with ingested plastic fishing line pollution in an urban park, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, January.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Gallus aquatica) preening, Gloucestershire, England, UK, November.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Gallus aquatica) preening, Gloucestershire, England, UK, November.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Gallus aquatica) foraging in a shallow pond at the margins of a reed bed, Gloucestershire, England, UK, November.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Gallus aquatica) foraging close to the margins of a reed bed, Gloucestershire, England, UK, November.

Pedro Narra / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) walking, Sado Estuary, Portugal. December

Pedro Narra / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) on water, Sado Estuary, Portugal. March

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) swimming, Sado Estuary. Portugal. April

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) on stream, Sado Estuary. Portugal. April

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) Sado Estuary. Portugal. March

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) portrait, Sado Estuary. Portugal. March

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) Sado Estuary. Portugal. April

Pedro Narra / Western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) Sado estuary, Portugal. April

Pedro Narra / Coots (Fulica atra) fighting, Sado Estuary, Portugal. April

Pedro Narra / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) walking in shallow water, Sado Estuary, Portugal. December

Pedro Narra / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) profile, Sado Estuary, Portugal. December

Pedro Narra / Coot (Fulica atra) two fighting, Sado Estuary. Portugal. April

Nick Upton / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) walking in the margins of shallow lake, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Ann & Steve Toon / Black crake (Amaurornis flavirostra) immature, Zimanga private game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, September

Nick Upton / Coot (Fulica atra) grazing ground vegetation near a lake margin in falling snow, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Coot (Fulica atra) grazing grass on a snow covered lake margin, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) walking on frozen, snow covered lake surface in falling snow, Wiltshire, UK, March.

Colin Varndell / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) feeding on dead Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), it had just killed. Dorset, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) walking on frozen, snow covered lake surface in falling snow, Wiltshire, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) walking across a frozen, snow dusted pond, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Mark Carwardine / Coot (Fulica atra) Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England, UK, January.

Sandesh Kadur / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) in wetland. Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) standing on a Lotus leaf in East Lake Greenway park, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) juvenile on lotus leaf, East Lake Greenway park, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) chick standing on lotus leaves with mother in a lake, East Lake Greenway park, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) chick standing on lotus leaf in lake, East Lake Greenway park, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Kerstin Hinze / Corncrake (Crex crex) calling, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, June.

Philippe Clement / Male Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) bringing twigs to female and building nest, France, May.

David Tipling / Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) Bushy Park, London, England, UK. October

Eric Medard / Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) feeding on waterweed, France May.

Eric Medard / Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) group on river bank with Domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus) France December.

Eric Medard / Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) parent and chick, France. May.

Robin Chittenden / Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) male with eel in beak, surrounded by Eurasian coots (Fulica atra) and female tufted ducks. Norfolk, England, UK. January.

Robin Chittenden / Coot (Fulica atra) nest with clutch of eggs, Norfolk, England, UK. June.

John Waters / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) predating Mayflies (Ephemoptera) from the River Kennet, Hungerford, Berkshire, England, UK, June.

Winfried Wisniewski / Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostris) wading, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Winfried Wisniewski / Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostris), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa