Finfoots resemble rails; they have long necks, slender bodies, broad tails, and sharp, pointed bills.

Their legs and feet are brightly coloured and, unlike grebes, they are capable of walking well and even moving quickly on land.

Their ranges extend from coastal creeks to fast-moving mountain streams, most commonly being found in large slow-moving bodies of water.

Little quantitative information on finfoot diet exists, but they have also been recorded eating molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, frogs, fish and some leaves and seeds.

Unlike grebes they do not dive to obtain food, instead picking prey off the water's surface or foraging on the shore.