The black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) is a mouse-sized member of the bird family Rallidae. It is found in scattered parts of North America and the Pacific region of South America, usually in coastal salt marshes but also in some freshwater marshes. It is extinct or threatened in many locations due to habitat loss. The largest populations in North America are in Florida and California. This bird has sometimes been considered conspecific with the Peruvian Junín crake (L. tuerosi) and the Galapagos crake (L. spilonotus).