Common Moorhen
Eurasian Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus)
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Gallinula Species: G. chloropus
Binomial name
Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)
European distribution of the Common Moorhen. Green: Year-round Yellow: Summer.
Subspecies
About 12, see text The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Families †Gastornithidae Aramidae Psophiidae Rallidae Heliornithidae Rhynochetidae †Aptornithidae Eurypigidae Cariamidae Otidae Gruidae †Phorusrhacidae The diverse order Gruiformes contains about 12 bird families with, on first sight, little in common. ... Genera Sarothrura Himantornis Canirallus Coturnicops Micropygia Rallina Anurolimnas Laterallus Nesoclopeus Gallirallus Rallus Lewinia Dryolimnas Crex Rougetius Aramidopsis Atlantisia Aramides Amaurolimnas Gymnocrex Amaurornis Porzana Aenigmatolimnas Cyanolimnas Neocrex Pardirallus Eulabeornis Habroptila Megacrex Gallicrex Porphyrio Gallinula Fulica The family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the... Species San Cristobal Moorhen, Gallinula silvestris Tristan Moorhen, Gallinula nesiotis Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Gough Island Moorhen, Gallinula comeri Dusky Moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa Lesser Moorhen, Gallinula angulata Spot-flanked Gallinule, Gallinula melanops Black-tailed Native-hen, Gallinula ventralis Tasmanian Native-hen, Gallinula mortierii The moorhens are medium-sized water birds... Latin name redirects here. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Year 1758 (MDCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the zoological term. ...
Synonyms
Gallinula galeata In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ...

The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a bird in the rail family with an almost worldwide distribution outside Australasia as well as deserts, many tropical rainforests, and the polar regions. It is equally often called the common Waterhen, a name which is more apt because the bird lives around ponds, lakes, canals, marshes, etc., but is not common in moorland. Other names include^[1] the water rail, the moor coot and the common gallinule. This proliferation of names is probably due to the commonness of the bird in many different places. For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Genera Sarothrura Himantornis Canirallus Coturnicops Micropygia Rallina Anurolimnas Laterallus Nesoclopeus Gallirallus Rallus Lewinia Dryolimnas Crex Rougetius Aramidopsis Atlantisia Aramides Amaurolimnas Gymnocrex Amaurornis Porzana Aenigmatolimnas Cyanolimnas Neocrex Pardirallus Eulabeornis Habroptila Megacrex Gallicrex Porphyrio Gallinula Fulica The family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the world Amazon river rain forest in Peru Amazon river rain forest in Brazil Tropical rainforests are rainforests generally found near the equator. ... Earths polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles, north of the Arctic circle, or south of the Antarctic Circle. ... Ponds Cream is a brand of beauty and healthcare products that is produced by Unilever of England. ... Lake Clearwater, Ontario, Canada A lake is a large body of water, usually fresh water, surrounded by land. ... Categories: Water-transport stubs | Canals | Water transport ... This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. ... Moorland in the Pennines (England); Coarse grasses and bracken tend to dominate especially in high rainfall areas. ...

G. c. chloropus feeding juveniles in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

G. c. chloropus- Immature in Kolkata

This is a common breeding bird in marsh environments and well-vegetated lakes. It is often secretive, but can become tame in some areas. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, such as southern Canada, the northern USA and eastern Europe, will migrate to more temperate climes. , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of birds. ...

It is a distinctive species, with dark plumage apart from the white undertail, yellow legs and a red facial shield. The young are browner and lack the red shield. It has a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened.

This species will consume a wide variety of vegetable material and small aquatic creatures. They forage while swimming, sometimes upending to feed, or walking through the marsh.

The nest is a roofed basket built on the ground in dense vegetation. Laying starts in spring, between mid-March and mid-May in N hemisphere temperate regions. 8-12 eggs are usually laid per female early in the season; a second brood in summer usually has only 5-8 or even less eggs; nests may be shared by females. Incubation lasts about three weeks. Both parents incubate and feed the young. These fledge after 40-50 days, become independent usually a few weeks thereafter, and may raise their first brood the next spring.(Snow et al. 1998) The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ...

Despite loss of habitat in parts of its range, the Common Moorhen remains plentiful and widespread.

Subspecies

Common Gallinule or Florida Gallinule, St. Petersburg, Florida. Note more angular red frontal shield.

About one dozen subspecies are today considered valid; several more have been described which are now considered junior synonyms. Most are not very readily recognizable as differences are rather subtle and often clinal. Usually, the location of a sighting is the most reliable indication as to subspecies identification, but the migratory tendencies of this species make identifications based on location not completely reliable. Old World birds have a frontal shield with rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line. American birds have a frontal shield that has a fairly straight top and is less wide towards the bill, giving a marked indentation to the back margin of the red area. For other uses, see St. ... This article is about the zoological term. ... In zoological nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names that pertain to the same taxon, for example two names for the same species. ... Population genetics is the study of the allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four evolutionary forces: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow. ... For other uses, see Old World (disambiguation). ...

Despite being a bountiful species, small populations are of course more prone to extinction. The Mariana Common Moorhen or pulattat (G. c. guami) is very rare nowadays due to destruction of habitat. Only some 300 adult birds remained in 2001, and it is listed as Endangered both federally (since 1984) and locally (Takano & Haig 2004).
In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Endangered Species Act (, et seq. ...

In addition to the extant subspecies listed below, there are two Pleistocene paleosubspecies known from fossils. These were distinct (generally larger) forms and probably the direct ancestors of some of today's Common Moorhens: Gallinula chloropus brodkorbi from the Ichetucknee River, Florida, and an undescribed Early Pleistocene form from Dursunlu, Turkey (Louchart et al. 1998). The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... A chronospecies is a species which changes physically, morphologically, genetically, and/or behaviorally over time on an evolutionary scale such that the originating species and the species it becomes could not be classified as the same species had they existed at the same point in time. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... The Ichetucknee River is a spring fed, pristine river in north central Florida. ... Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. ...

Eurasian Common Moorhen

G. c. chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Ranges from Northwest Europe to North Africa and eastwards to Central Siberia and from the humid regions of southern Asia to Japan and Central Malaysia; also found in Sri Lanka and the Canary, Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde islands. Includes the proposed subspecies correiana and indica.

A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Anthem: Arrorró Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th  7,447 km²  1. ... Motto (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,333 km² (n/a) 911 sq mi... For other uses, see Madeira (disambiguation). ... Motto: Unity, Work, Progress Anthem: Cântico da Liberdade Capital Praia Largest city Praia Official language(s) Portuguese (official) and nine Portuguese Creoles Government Republic  - President Pedro Pires  - Prime Minister José Maria Neves Independence from Portugal   - Recognized July 5, 1975  Area    - Total 4,033 km² (165th)   1,557 sq mi...

Southern American Common Moorhen

G. c. galeata (Lichtenstein, 1818) Martin Lichtenstein Martin Heinrich Carl Lichtenstein (January 10, 1780 - September 2, 1857) was a German physician, explorer and zoologist. ... Year 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Found in Trinidad, the Guyanas, and from Brazil south of the Amazonas to North Argentina and Uruguay. Wings and back are fairly uniform dark brownish slate grey.

For other uses, see Trinidad (disambiguation). ... Amazonas is the name of four subnational entities in various South American nations. ...

Indo-Pacific Common Moorhen

G. c. orientalis (Horsfield, 1821) Thomas Horsfield, M. D., (1773 - 1859) was an American physician and naturalist. ... Year 1821 (MDCCCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Found in the Seychelles, Andaman Islands, and South Malaysia through Indonesia; also found in the Philippines and Palau. Small, with slate grey upperwing coverts and large frontal shield.

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. ...

African Common Moorhen

G. c. meridionalis (C. L. Brehm, 1831) Christian Ludwig Brehm (January 24, 1787 - June 23, 1864) was a German pastor and ornithologist. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Saint Helena. Appearance is similar to orientalis, but the frontal shield is smaller.

Satellite image of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area African countries considered sub-Saharan Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries which are fully or partially...

Madagascan Common Moorhen

G. c. pyrrhorrhoa (A. Newton, 1861) For the SOE field agent, see Alfred Newton (SOE). ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Found on the islands of Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, and the Comoros. The undertail coverts are buff.

Andean Common Moorhen

G. c. garmani (Allen, 1876) Joel Asaph Allen (July 19, 1838 - August 29, 1921) was an American zoologist and ornithologist. ... Year 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) // January 31 - United States orders all Indigenous peoples in the United States to move onto reservations February 2 - The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. ...

Found in the Andes from Peru to Northwest Argentina. Appearance is similar to galeata, but larger.

This article is about the mountain system in South America. ...

Hawaiian Moorhen

G. c. sandvicensis (Streets, 1877) 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Subspecies is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Has a large frontal shield; the tarsus is reddish-orange in front. Known as ‘alae ‘ula in Hawaiian.

Endemic, in a broad sense, can mean belonging or native to, characteristic of, or prevalent in a particular geography, race, field, area, or environment; Native to an area or scope. ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawaii. ... In tetrapods, the tarsi are the cluster of bones in the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus. ... The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian language that takes its name from Hawaiʻi, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. ...

Antillean Common Moorhen

G. c. cerceris (Bangs, 1910) Outram Bangs (January 12, 1863–September 22, 1932) was a American zoologist. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Found in the Antilles, except Trinidad and Barbados; also found in South Florida. Has a long bill and large feet and is less brown above. Known as Florida Gallinule in the USA. ^[2]

The Antilles (the same in French; Antillas in Spanish; Antillen in Dutch) refers to the islands forming the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

North American Common Moorhen

G. c. cachinnans (Bangs, 1915) Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Ranges from Southeast Canada south through the USA, excluding the Great Plains region, to West Panama; also found in the Galápagos and Bermuda. Appearance is similar to cerceris, but upperparts coloration more like chloropus. Also known as Common Gallinule.

For other uses, see Great Plains (disambiguation). ... NASA Satellite photo of the Galápagos archipelago. ...

Subandean Common Moorhen

G. c. pauxilla (Bangs, 1915)

Found in lowland areas of East Panama south to Northwest Peru. Appearance is similar to cerceris, but smaller.

Mariana Common Moorhen

G. c. guami (Hartert, 1917) Ernst Johann Otto Hartert (October 29, 1859 - November 11, 1933) was an German ornithologist and oologist. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

Subspecies is endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands. Body plumage is very dark. Known as pulattat in Chamorro.

The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... Chamorro (Chamoru in Chamorro) is the native language of the Chamorro or Chamoru of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. ...

Barbados Moorhen

G. c. barbadensis (Bond, 1954) James Bond (January 4, 1900 – February 14, 1989) was a leading American ornithologist whose name was appropriated by writer Ian Fleming for his fictional spy James Bond. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar). ...

Subspecies is endemic to Barbados. Appearance is similar to cerceris, but with lighter head and neck, and less dull grey overall.

Gallery

With juveniles in Kolkata, West Bengal, India , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ...	Preening in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...	Preening in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...	Immature in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...
In Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...	G. c. chloropus in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...	Immatures- G. c. chloropus in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...	G. c. chloropus in Kolkata , “Calcutta” redirects here. ...
Nest with small clutch of eggs	Chick, 1-2 weeks old	Unfledged young, about 1 month old	Immature bird, 3-4 months old

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Gallinula chloropus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Louchart, Antoine; Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile; Guleç, Erksin; Howell, Francis Clark & White, Tim D. (1998): L'avifaune de Dursunlu, Turquie, Pléistocène inférieur: climat, environnement et biogéographie. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris IIA 327(5): 341-346. [French with English abridged version] doi:10.1016/S1251-8050(98)80053-0 (HTML abstract)
• Snow, David W.; Perrins, Christopher M.; Doherty, Paul & Cramp, Stanley (1998): The complete birds of the western Palaearctic on CD-ROM. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192685791
• Takano, Leilani L. & Haig, Susan M. (2004): Distribution and Abundance of the Mariana Subspecies of the Common Moorhen. Waterbirds 27(2): 245-250. DOI:10.1675/1524-4695(2004)027[0245:DAAOTM]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Comptes rendus de lAcadémie des Sciences, or simply Comptes rendus, is a French scientific journal which has been published since 1835. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ [1]See Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
2. ^ Due to uncertainty about the Floridan birds' identity, this vernacular name was also applied to ssp. galeata and cachinnans.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to (category): Gallinula chloropus or Gallinula or Psittacidae

• Internet Bird Collection: Common Moorhen videos
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Common Moorhen
• USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter - Common Moorhen Information
• South Dakota Birds and Birding - Common Moorhen Information and Photos
• Madeira Birds - Moorhen breeding in Madeira Island

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...