Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyAramidae (Limpkins)
- GenusAramus (Limpkins)
- SpeciesAramus guarauna (Limpkin)
The limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a large wading bird related to rails and cranes, and the only extant species in the family Aramidae. It is found mostly in wetlands in warm parts of the Americas, from Florida to northern Argentina, but individuals have been reported as far north as Wisconsin, and Southern Ontario. It feeds on molluscs, with the diet dominated by apple snails of the genus Pomacea. Its name derives from its seeming limp when it walks. It has also been called "carrao", "courlan", and "crying bird". Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Limpkin sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 222 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
King Rail
Rallus elegans
Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis
American Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
American Coot
Fulica americana
Sora
Porzana carolina
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
Clapper Rail
Rallus crepitans
Western Swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Limpkin in Big Cypress National Preserve?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Limpkin sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 222 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Limpkin in Big Cypress National Preserve?
June has the highest sighting rate for Limpkin in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.