Moorhen

Moorhen

NL: Waterhoen
D: Teichhuhn
F: Poule d’eau
 
Latin name: Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bird group: Rails, crakes and coots

Sound: Normal call a sharp, crowing ‘kurrk’ and ‘kittik’.

Field characteristics: 32-35 cm. A blackish water bird differing from Coot in smaller size, red blaze, red bill with yellow tip and white stripes along upper flank. Has conspicuous white – separated by black in the middle – undertail coverts which are shown by continuous tail wiggling. Legs bright yellow-green. Moves the head from back to front while swimming. Rises with difficulty and with a run-up of water. Juvenile browner than adult, with white chin and throat and greenish brown bill and blaze.

Appearance: Very common resident and summer visitor.

Habitat: Inhabits many types of freshwater, such as lakes and rivers with riparian cover, canals, ditches, urban parks, and swamps; also searches for food on grassland but always in the vicinity of water or cover.

Food: Forages swimming, walking over floating aquatic plants or on meadows, lawns, etc. Eats both vegetable and animal food.

Song/call: