Medium-sized, predominanly black long-winged rallids with short frontal shields. Usually seen swimming on pools or open water close to reeds or thick cover, frequently flicking tail while swimming.
Their plumage is dark-brown or blackish with white spots on the flanks. The bill is short and stout and adapted for cutting through plant parts and is along with the legs and feet brightly coloured. The legs and toes are quite long, possibly enabling walking on dense floating vegetation. They undertake short flights with the legs dangling.
They are omnivorous with a varied diet, primarily eating mollusc, invertebrates, bird eggs, tadpoles, seeds, fruit and flowers of reeds or even carrion.
They are monogamous and territorial. They have unusual courtship behaviour in that the females initially compete for the males and the biggest females then select small, fat males. This possibly infers a breeding advantage, as the male assists with this duty. The nest is built by both sexes and consists of a shallow bowl of plants, reeds or sedges placed just above water in reeds, grass or on a low branch.

Gallinula = a small hen

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