Common Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Inland waters. White flank marks; red frontal shield and bill; bill-tip and legs yellow.

Coots, Gallinules, Moorhens

Not Endemic

Description

Common resident. Larger than [Lesser Moorhen], with bright red bill and rounded frontal shield. Tip of bill and legs yellow; flank feathers white. Legs yellow or greenish yellow with red band around tibia. Immature is browner. The call is a high-pitched, descending ‘kr-rrrrk’. Frequents dams, pans and quiet rivers with fringing reed beds, singly or in pairs. Swims more in open water than [Lesser Moorhen] but also feeds out of water in vleis and marshlands.

Quick Facts

Bird Family

Small to fairly large, long-legged, large-footed, mainly freshwater-associated birds. A few species inhabit grassland, vleis or lush forest undergrowth. Most water-associated species habitually flick their tails to reveal white undertail coverts. Coots and moorhens are blackish with brightly coloured frontal shields (foreheads) and bills. Gallinules have blue-green plumage. Many species are extremely secretive and almost impossible to see, except when they fly clumsily with feet hanging low over vegetation.