The distribution, status, biology and ecology of four flufftail species were investigated in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Redchested Flufftail is a successful and widely distributed species, occupying a wide range of dense vegetation, from seasonally wet grassland and sedges to permanently shallowly flooded reedbeds. It colonizes artificially created wetland patches and occupies very small patches of suitable habitat. Redchested Flufftails maintain a permanent pair bond and are permanently territorial and entirely sedentary. Their habitat is relatively stable but unpredictable catastrophic events such as burning may force temporary emigration in winter or spring. Displaced birds move a short distance, occupy often marginally suitable habitat and recolonize burned areas as soon as vegetation cover becomes adequate. Periodic burning improves habitat quality, and recommendations are formulated for the management of wetland habitats by burning. The size of the winter territory is larger than the minimum required for survival and provides an insurance against forced emigration, while immatures often share parental territories in winter. The Striped Flufftail's grassland habitats in Natal are decreasing and its numbers are declining. Striped Flufftails are sedentary in low-altitude grassland habitats, but in high-altitude sourveld the decrease in invertebrate food forces emigration in April-June, when the birds move to unknown wintering destinations (movements are possibly altitudinal). Return time to unburned vegetation is dependent upon invertebrate food availability. Return time to burned vegetation is governed by the development of suitable cover, which may occur too late in the breeding season to permit occupation. The species is well adapted to frequent burning of its habitats, which serves to maintain suitable fire-climax grassland, but is also adapted to post-fire-climax vegetation types. The Whitewinged Flufftail is rare but its occurrence was regularly noted during the summer at four sites in Natal and the Transvaal. Habitat preferences and movement patterns were clarified, as was the bird's ecological segregation from the Redchested Flufftail. No conclusive evidence was found for breeding in South Africa and it is suggested that lack of suitable breeding habitat (possibly as a result of its being occupied by breeding Redchested Flufftails) may account for this. Some aspects of the bird's behaviour and calling were investigated. In view of this bird's threatened status and the continuing destruction of its wetland habitats, further surveys are urgently required to clarify the bird's status and the full extent of suitable habitat in South Africa, while a captive breeding programme is recommended to study breeding behaviour. The Buffspotted Flufftail inhabits a wide variety of forested and bushed habitats, and in Natal is a successful colonist of exotic vegetation in gardens. Its breeding biology, territorial and aggressive behaviour, and feeding ecology, were investigated in detail. It has regular seasonal movements in Natal, probably both altitudinal and coastal, although birds may remain throughout the year in areas where conditions are suitable. Seasonal departures are correlated with decreasing invertebrate food availability, while return time is largely governed by food availability, although cover development in exotic vegetation delayed recolonization at one site. The pair bond and the territory are maintained throughout the breeding season, and possibly throughout the year under suitable conditions. Adult mortality is probably high and the species' breeding strategy emphasises fecundity, this being achieved by a large clutch size, a very restricted period of parental care and rapid re-nesting. Juvenile mortality is high. The plumage, behavioural and vocal development of the young were studied in detail. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1994.

A família Rallidae é representada por aves cosmopolitas popularmente conhecidas como saracuras, sanãs, carquejas, galinhas-d`água e frangos-d`água. Compreende cerca de 135 espécies distribuídas em 33 gêneros, dos quais 13 são monotípicos. As relações filogenéticas baseadas em caracteres morfológicos e dados moleculares indicam diferentes afinidades entre os membros da família, principalmente na posição dos gêneros Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula e Fulica. Neste estudo, focado em espécies Neotropicais da família, uma nova análise filogenética baseada em caracteres osteológicos é proposta. Uma amostra de 100 esqueletos de 13 gêneros e 31 espécies foi analisada. No total 50 caracteres foram codificados, dos quais 17 são cranianos e 33 pós-cranianos para a construção de uma matriz e subseqüente análise filogenética de acordo com o princípio da parcimônia. Foram calculados árvores de consenso estrito e consenso de maioria. A primeira gerou 151 árvores igualmente parcimoniosas com 99 passos. A análise com método de pesagem sucessiva dos caracteres obteve melhores resoluções entre as espécies amostradas. A topologia do cladograma permite a validade de determinados gêneros como entidades monofiléticas, como Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula e Fulica. O posicionamento de Porphyrio como um ramo basal dentro da subfamília Rallinae foi suportado e suas relações interespecíficas demonstram que as espécies do Novo mundo são mais proximamente relacionadas do que P. porphyrio, permitindo a inclusão taxonômica de Porphyrula. A relação próxima entre as espécies do gênero Gallinula e Fulica foi corroborada, no entanto, G. melanops é um ramo basal do clado que inclui as espécies de Fulica, indicando que uma mudança taxonômica é necessária. A relação entre as espécies de Rallus e Pardirallus é distante e não suporta a inclusão das espécies de Pardirallus em Rallus. As maiores discordâncias da filogenia proposta em comparação com estudos moleculares referem-se à posição interna dos membros de Porphyrio e suas relações com outros gêneros / The family Rallidae is represented by cosmopolitan birds commonly known as wood-rails, crakes, coots, gallinules and swamp hens. It comprises around 135 species, distributed in 33 genera, of which 13 are monotypics. The phylogenetic relationships based on morphological characters and molecular parameters indicate different affinities among family species, mainly the position of the genera Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula and Fulica. In this study, focused on the Neotropical species of the family, a new phylogenetic analysis based on osteological characters is proposed. A sample of 100 skeletons of 13 genera and 31 species was analyzed. A total of 50 characters was codified, of which 17 were cranial and 33 post-cranial to provide a matrix construction and a subsequent phylogenetic analysis according to the principle of parsimony. A strict consensus and a majority rule consensus tree were calculated. The former generated 151 equally parsimonious trees with 99 steps. The successive weighting approach analyses of characters obtained better resolutions around the sampled species. The cladogram topology allows the acceptance of some genera as valid monophyletic groups, such as Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula and Fulica. The position of Porphyrio as a basal branch within the subfamily Rallinae was supported and the interspecific relationships show that New World species were more closely related than P. porphyrio, allowing the taxonomic inclusion of Porphyrula. The close relationship between the species of Gallinula and Fulica was corroborated, but G. melanops is a basal branch of a clade that includes Fulica species, indicating that a taxonomic change is needed. The relationship of Rallus and Pardirallus is distant and so does not support the inclusion of Pardirallus species in Rallus. The major discordances of the proposed phylogeny in comparison with molecular studies concern the internal position of the Porphyrio members and their relationships with other genera.

A família Rallidae é representada por aves cosmopolitas popularmente conhecidas como saracuras, sanãs, carquejas, galinhas-d`água e frangos-d`água. Compreende cerca de 135 espécies distribuídas em 33 gêneros, dos quais 13 são monotípicos. As relações filogenéticas baseadas em caracteres morfológicos e dados moleculares indicam diferentes afinidades entre os membros da família, principalmente na posição dos gêneros Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula e Fulica. Neste estudo, focado em espécies Neotropicais da família, uma nova análise filogenética baseada em caracteres osteológicos é proposta. Uma amostra de 100 esqueletos de 13 gêneros e 31 espécies foi analisada. No total 50 caracteres foram codificados, dos quais 17 são cranianos e 33 pós-cranianos para a construção de uma matriz e subseqüente análise filogenética de acordo com o princípio da parcimônia. Foram calculados árvores de consenso estrito e consenso de maioria. A primeira gerou 151 árvores igualmente parcimoniosas com 99 passos. A análise com método de pesagem sucessiva dos caracteres obteve melhores resoluções entre as espécies amostradas. A topologia do cladograma permite a validade de determinados gêneros como entidades monofiléticas, como Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula e Fulica. O posicionamento de Porphyrio como um ramo basal dentro da subfamília Rallinae foi suportado e suas relações interespecíficas demonstram que as espécies do Novo mundo são mais proximamente relacionadas do que P. porphyrio, permitindo a inclusão taxonômica de Porphyrula. A relação próxima entre as espécies do gênero Gallinula e Fulica foi corroborada, no entanto, G. melanops é um ramo basal do clado que inclui as espécies de Fulica, indicando que uma mudança taxonômica é necessária. A relação entre as espécies de Rallus e Pardirallus é distante e não suporta a inclusão das espécies de Pardirallus em Rallus. As maiores discordâncias da filogenia proposta em comparação com estudos moleculares referem-se à posição interna dos membros de Porphyrio e suas relações com outros gêneros / The family Rallidae is represented by cosmopolitan birds commonly known as wood-rails, crakes, coots, gallinules and swamp hens. It comprises around 135 species, distributed in 33 genera, of which 13 are monotypics. The phylogenetic relationships based on morphological characters and molecular parameters indicate different affinities among family species, mainly the position of the genera Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula and Fulica. In this study, focused on the Neotropical species of the family, a new phylogenetic analysis based on osteological characters is proposed. A sample of 100 skeletons of 13 genera and 31 species was analyzed. A total of 50 characters was codified, of which 17 were cranial and 33 post-cranial to provide a matrix construction and a subsequent phylogenetic analysis according to the principle of parsimony. A strict consensus and a majority rule consensus tree were calculated. The former generated 151 equally parsimonious trees with 99 steps. The successive weighting approach analyses of characters obtained better resolutions around the sampled species. The cladogram topology allows the acceptance of some genera as valid monophyletic groups, such as Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula and Fulica. The position of Porphyrio as a basal branch within the subfamily Rallinae was supported and the interspecific relationships show that New World species were more closely related than P. porphyrio, allowing the taxonomic inclusion of Porphyrula. The close relationship between the species of Gallinula and Fulica was corroborated, but G. melanops is a basal branch of a clade that includes Fulica species, indicating that a taxonomic change is needed. The relationship of Rallus and Pardirallus is distant and so does not support the inclusion of Pardirallus species in Rallus. The major discordances of the proposed phylogeny in comparison with molecular studies concern the internal position of the Porphyrio members and their relationships with other genera.