Grallæ

Grallæ, or GRALLATORES (Lat., 'stilt-walkers'), an old order of wading and running birds, including rails (Rallidæ), snipes and curlews (Scolopacidæ), plovers (Charadridæ), bustards (Otididæ), cranes (Gruidæ), herons and bitterns (Ardeidæ), storks (Ciconiidæ), and numerous other families. These are grouped by modern ornithologists in a number of smaller orders, while the old order Grallæ is abandoned as too hopelessly large. They are mostly long-legged marsh or coast birds, generally with long legs and bills. Their distribution is very wide, the four largest families (rails, snipes, plovers, and herons) being quite cosmopolitan.