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Common Moorhen

(Gallinula chloropus)
: "(Eurasian) Moorhen", "Common Gallinule", "Swamp Chicken", "Common Waterhen"

German name(s): "Teichralle", "Teichhuhn", "Rotbläßchen", "Grünfüssiges Teichhuhn"
Size: 30-38 cm; wing span 50-62 cm
Weight: 190-500 g

Similar species

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Common Moorhens are bluish-black henlike birds, with a bright-red facial shield and base of the bill. The tip of the bill is yellow. While front, head and neck are bluish-black, the wing coverts and mantle of nominate race "chloropus" are charcoal-black with an olive hue. The undertail has two white panels with a central black stripe. The characteristic feature that distinguishes Common Moorhens from similar species is a white broken line along the flanks, at the leading edge of the wings. Their irises are orange-brown. The legs and feet are greyish-yellow to olive; in flight they trail far behind the tip of the tail. Note that the feet are not webbed. Juvenile Common Waterhens do not have a facial shield yet. The cap, mantle and wing coverts are charcoal-grey, while the front and the neck are brownish-grey, with a light-grey chin. They do already have the broken white line on the flanks and the two white panels on the undertail. The bill is olive to brownish-grey; legs and feet are olive-grey. Juveniles have brown irises.

Taxonomy, classification

See Common Moorhen at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the ebird.org website.
The global distribution of the Common Moorhen is available HERE .

There are five races of the Common Moorhen, with a combined range encompassing most of temperate Europe, much of Africa (outside the arid and semi-arid regions), Asia Minor, coastal Arabia and southern to mid-latitude Asia, as far to the East as Korea and Japan. The southern boundary of their distribution extends to South Africa, Madagascar, the islands of the Indian Ocean, the Indian subcontinent and south-eastern Asia, up to Indonesia and the Philippines.

Common Moorhens, nominate race "chloropus", are resident in almost all of southern, central and western Europe, while they are breeding migrants to areas where water freezes during the winter, such as eastern Europe and southern Scandinavia. For the same reason, they are NOT found in the highest reaches of mountain ranges, i.e. the Alps, Pyrenees, Scottish Highlands, Scandinavian Highlands and the Balkans. The East-West boundary between residency and breeding migration is a line connecting roughly the Polish Baltic Sea coastline with the eastern edge of the Alps.
Common Moorhens have a preference for well-vegetated wetlands around freshwater lakes (including ponds in gardens and urban parks) and in swamps and marshes.

Sightings

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Race "chloropus"

J. Pires reports spotting Common Moorhens, race "chloropus", regularly in the area from the Tejo estuary to Lisbon and Mora, Evora, Portugal.

H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting Common Moorhens, race "chloropus", in Dreieich, Hessen, Germany, in September 2017.

M. Eaton found Common Moorhens, race "chloropus", in Hyde Park, London, England, in September 2019.

Photos

Race "chloropus"

This race is also called the "Eurasian Common Moorhen".

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Common Moorhen; note the characteristic red and yellow bill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Common Moorhen in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Common Moorhen, with a second in the background (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Dreieich, Hessen, Germany, September 2017]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Dreieich, Hessen, Germany, September 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Lisbon, Portugal, June 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Moorhen; click on photo to see Mallard ducks for comparison
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Dreieich, Hessen, Germany, September 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Common Moorhen (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Dreieich, Hessen, Germany, September 2017]

Lateral view of a Common Moorhen with a chick (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Common Moorhen with a chick (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2018]

Behaviour

Male Common Moorhens can be seen in cockfights; here the initial challenge... (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

... then one gains the upper hand ... (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

... before chasing the challenger from the field (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

Food, Diet

Common Moorhen with parts of an underwater plant (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Mob of Common Moorhen feeding together on aquatic plants (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

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