The rails are a large group of chickenlike birds, most of which live in marshes or associated habitats such as meadows, swamps, and lakes.  A few family members, including the coots and some gallinules, spend much of their time swimming in open water, generally behaving like ducks, but the vast majority of rail species are habitually furtive and rarely leave the safe concealment of dense vegetation.  Consequently, most rails are little-known and the infrequency of sightings makes each one memorable.