The White-winged Flufftail or White-winged Crake (Sarothrura ayresi) is a small, enigmatic and little-known Rail endemic to Africa. It is a globally threatened species and was uplisted to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2013. It is only known to occur with any regularity in Ethiopia and South Africa - although there are also records from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Its distribution range is undergoing a continuing decline in extent, area, and habitat quality, due to the high rate of loss and degradation of seasonal marshland, the most preferred habitat for these birds. The main threats to the White-winged Flufftail include grazing and cutting of sedges and grasses, transformation of natural habitat to cultivation, inundation of wetland habitat through the construction of dams, habitat trampling by livestock and afforestation with Eucalyptus plantations. There is limited information on the population status and ecology of the species, which also hampers the implementation of effective conservation measures.

In order to halt the decline of the White-winged Flufftaild across its range, international cooperation is a must. To this end, an International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the White-winged Flufftail has been adopted under the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The four principal range states for the species coordinate the implementation of the Action Plan within the framework of the inter-governmental AEWA White-winged Flufftail International Working Group.