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Mesites, roatelos
Order:
Gruiformes
Family: Mesoenatidae
3 species
Madagascar;
30-32 cm; bill slender, nostrils long slits with opercula; wings short, rounded; powder downs; terrestrial but capable of flight; tail long, rounded; secretive foragers in forest litter, often making thrasher-like movements and noises while foraging;
sexes similar in 2 spp., dissimilar in one; dove-like nest in low bush accessible to ground by branches; 1-2 eggs; polyandrous(?); young cared for by male(?); all spp. threatened, with limited ranges
(Image taken from Harrison, C. and Alan Greensmith. Birds of the World. DK Publishing: New York, 1993.)