Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
The Common Moorhen is widely distributed across a large part of the world but is missing from the higher latitudes and Australia. It is found in freshwater wetlands, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc.
Common Moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus )
Common Moorhen, Laguna Madre Nature Trail, South Padre Island, Texas
Photograph by Alan And Elaine Wilson. Some rights reserved. (view image details) ...
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a duck-like member of the Rail family with a nearly worldwide distribution.
Common Moorhen: Medium-sized, chicken-like marsh bird with gray-brown back and slate-gray head, neck, breast, and belly. Upper flanks show distinct white line. Yellow-tipped red bill is short with red frontal plate extending onto forehead.
Common Moorhen juvenile
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves (Birds) Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae
Anseriformes ...
Diet The common moorhen is omnivorous and feeds while walking on plants or while floating on the water. It swims across the water to scoop up floating seeds and other materials from plants floating on the surface of the water.
Common Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus)
Status: Vagrant.
Last recorded on site in 1997
This species is State Endangered. It is in danger of extinction as a breeding species in the state of Illinois.
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus)
Status Uncommon transient, rare and local in summer. Breeds.
Common moorhens are widespread throughout Europe, South America, Africa and India. In Britain they are a fairly common sight near most aquatic environments, and they are excellent swimmers.
Common moorhens breed from April to August. The female lays a clutch of 6-10 eggs, and may lay 2-3 clutches in a season.
FLEDGING DURATION: ...
One of the items currently before the American Ornithologists' Union's North American Checklist Committee (NACC) is a proposal to split Old World and New World forms of the Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) into separate species.
Common Moorhen, or Common Gallinule, Gallinula chloropus
Relevant Web Resources: Gallinule Photos (Birding Forum) ... Birds - Everything About Swamphens ... Birds - Everything About Rails and Coots (Gallinules are part of the Rail family) ...
Common Moorhen
Both Sexes
Black with a white tail and red bill and forehead.
Gallinula chloropus ...
2. Common Moorhen
Kenn Kaufman (Lives of North American Birds) writes: "In courtship, male chases female on land; both stop, bow deeply, preen each others feathers." Sounds like a reasonable first date.
Common Moorhens inhabit freshwater marshes, lakes, and ponds. They usually build nests with ramps over water.
Common Moorhen is of similar size and shape but has a reddish bill with a yellowish tip, a white stripe along the flanks, and a brownish back.
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. Breeder. Fairly common in spring, summer, and fall, and uncommon in winter in Gulf Coast region. In Inland Coastal Plain, uncommon in summer and uncommon to rare in spring and fall.
Common Moorhen
Summer Sighting Information: occasional
Nest on or near Refuge? no
Common Nighthawk
Summer Sighting Information: common
Nest on or near Refuge? no ...
Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Northern pintail (Anas acuta)
Greater scaup (Aythya marila)
Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Common green darner (Anax junius)
Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) ...
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Lesser Moorhen Gallinula angulata
[edit] Finfoots
Order: Gruiformes Family: Heliornithidae ...
A 3-minute passive listening period was followed by a broadcast of tape-recorded calls of Pied-billed Grebe, American Bittern, Least Bittern, Green-backed Heron, Virginia Rail, Sora, King Rail, and Common Moorhen.
The Hawaiian gallinule, a subspecies of the Common Moorhen, stands 13 inches tall. It is a slate-gray color, darker on the head and neck than elsewhere. It has white feathers on the flanks and under its tail.
Purple Gallinule share habitat (fresh water marshes) with the Common Moorhen. In the late summer juveniles of both species will be present. Distinguish the juvenile Common Moorhen by its white side stripe.
Despite their environment being drastically altered by habitat loss and pollution, the common moorhen have proved to be a very hardy bird as it stills thrives in most areas.
THE COMMON GALLINULE.
[Common Moorhen.]
GALLINULA CHLOROPUS, Linn.
[Gallinula chloropus.] ...
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
King Rail (Rallus elegans)
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrula martinica)
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)
Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) ...
 See also: Moorhen, Purple, Coot, Gallinule, Martin
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