A taxonomic review of Aramidescajaneus (Aves, Gruiformes, Rallidae) with notes on morphological variation in other species of the genus.

The taxonomy of the polytypic and wide-ranging Gray-necked Wood-rail, Aramidescajaneus is reviewed, based on external morphology and voice. Throughout its distribution, there is extensive plumage variation, much of it taxonomically uninformative. However, through three informative plumage characters, as well as morphometric and vocal variation, three phylogenetic species were identified within what is today known as Aramidescajaneus, all of which already had available names: Aramidesalbiventris Lawrence, 1868, from southern Mexico to northeastern Costa Rica, Aramidescajaneus (Statius Müller, 1776) (sensu stricto), from southwestern Costa Rica to Argentina, and Aramidesavicenniae Stotz, 1992, from a small section of the coast of southeastern Brazil.