Mentocrex

Mentocrex is a genus of birds in the flufftail family, Sarothruridae. The genus includes two species, both of which are endemic to forests in Madagascar.

Mentocrex
Madagascar wood rail Mentocrex kioloides
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Sarothruridae
Genus:	Mentocrex Peters, JL, 1932
Species
2, see text

Species

The genus contains two species.^[1]

• Madagascar forest rail (Mentocrex kioloides)
• Tsingy forest rail (Mentocrex beankaensis)

These two species were formerly placed in the genus Canirallus together with the grey-throated rail (Canirallus oculeus). A molecular genetic study published in 2019 found that the grey-throated rail is not closely related to the Madagascan and tsingy forest rails. The grey-throated rail is related to the Rallidae while the wood rails are closely related to the Sarothrura.^[2]