About Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a midsized to large rail, with a length of 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in), a wingspan of 50 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in), and a body mass ranging from 192 to 500 g (6+3⁄4 to 17+3⁄4 oz). This species has a distinct appearance: its plumage is mostly black and brown, with a white undertail, white streaks along the flanks, yellow legs, a red frontal shield, and a red bill with a yellow tip. Juvenile common moorhens are browner than adults and do not have the red frontal shield. On adult common moorhens, the frontal shield has a rounded top, fairly parallel sides, and a smooth wavy line along the tailward margin of the unfeathered red area. Several recognized subspecies differ in physical traits from the nominate subspecies: G. c. meridionalis is smaller, has slaty blue-grey upperwing coverts, and lacks an olive wash; G. c. orientalis is similar to G. c. meridionalis but has a larger frontal shield; and G. c. pyrrhorrhoa is darker than the nominate and has buff undertail coverts. The related American common gallinule (Gallinula galeata) differs from the common moorhen in the shape of its frontal shield, which has a fairly straight top, narrows toward the bill, and creates a clear indentation along the back margin of the red area. Common moorhens produce a wide variety of gargling calls, and give off loud hisses when threatened. This is a common breeding resident bird that occupies marshes, rivers, well-vegetated lakes, and even city parks. Populations in regions with frozen water, such as eastern Europe, migrate to more temperate climates. In China, most common moorhen populations are resident south of the Yangtze River, while northern Chinese populations migrate south for winter; these populations have high genetic diversity. Common moorhens eat a wide range of vegetable matter and small aquatic creatures. They forage beside or in the water, sometimes walking across lilypads or upending in the water to feed. They are typically secretive, but can become tame in some areas. Even though it has lost habitat in parts of its range, the common moorhen remains abundant and widespread.
