The Plain-flanked Rail lives in brackish coastal lagoons and mangroves in Venezuela.
It reaches up to about 33 cm. It has a white chin, light olive-brown back, pinkish-brown underparts, gray unbarred sides, and a long, slightly curved bill.
It is recorded along brackish lagoons and uses mangroves that include open, marshy patches.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.