Common Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Other Pics: Common Moorhen

Other Names

  Moorhen, Common Gallinule   Gallinule poule-d'eau, Poule d'eau, Gallinule commune   Teichhuhn, Teichralle   Gallineta Común, Polla de agua    Rörhöna   Waterhoen   Gallinella d'acqua

World: Widely distributed absent only from Australia, the Arctic and the Antarctic.

Kenya: Found on permanent waters with dense fringing vegetation.

These are very successful birds which are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders taking a very wide variety of food (seeds, plant matter, insects, molluscs, carrion, rotting vegetation, fish and duck food etc). They are also be kleptoparasitic on other birds such as Great Crested Grebes. They feed both in the water and on land, making the most of anything that's available. Although they aren't shy birds they are less commonly seen out on open water than the related Red-knobbed Coot, preferring to keep close to shaded banks.