# Common Moorhen (*Gallinula chloropus*) The Common Moorhen is a small bird that loves to live near water. It has a bright red beak and a funny way of walking. You can often see it swimming or walking around in wetlands. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Moorhen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Common_Moorhen_%28Gallinula_chloropus_pyrrhorrhoa%29%252C_Mauritius.jpg&width=800) Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Moorhen_%28Gallinula_chloropus_pyrrhorrhoa%29%252C_Mauritius.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Moorhen has a striking red frontal shield and bill with a yellow tip, contrasting with its dark slate-grey body. It features white stripes on its flanks and a white undertail, which it often flicks as it walks or swims. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Rallidae - **Genus:** Gallinula ## Interesting facts - A moorhen chick can swim just hours after hatching, even before its down is fully dry! - Moorhen parents often build several 'dummy' nests, perhaps to confuse predators. - The brightest red on a moorhen's beak usually means it's a healthy, dominant bird! - They sometimes use old nests of other birds, like coots, to lay their eggs. ## Special abilities - **Underwater Escape:** Common Moorhen can dive swiftly underwater and swim to safety, evading airborne predators like hawks. - **Water Strider Toes:** Common Moorhen has exceptionally long toes that help them walk effortlessly on floating lily pads and soft mud. - **Surfing Runner:** Common Moorhen can run across the water's surface for short bursts, using its large feet to 'skip' before taking flight. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-38 cm - **Wingspan:** 50-55 cm - **Weight:** 0.2-0.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 5-11 - **Incubation:** 19-22 days ## Diet & Feeding These clever birds eat a mix of plants and small creatures they find near water. - **Primary Foods:** Aquatic plants, Seeds, Insects, Snails, Small fish, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Grey Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grey-heron) (*Ardea cinerea*) — Young moorhens are often prey for opportunistic herons. - **Eats:** Great Diving Beetle (*Dytiscus marginalis*) — Moorhens actively forage for these aquatic insects and their larvae. - **Depends on:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Moorhens use these tall reeds for nesting cover and shelter. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Moorhen? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Moorhen? 30-38 cm ### What is Common Moorhen's wingspan? 50-55 cm ### How much does Common Moorhen weigh? 0.2-0.5 kg ### How long does Common Moorhen live? 3-10 years ### How fast can Common Moorhen move? 50 km/h ### What does Common Moorhen eat? These clever birds eat a mix of plants and small creatures they find near water. ### Where is Common Moorhen usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Bioparc Valencia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bioparc-valencia) — Valencian Community, ES · Zoo - [Tierpark Röhrensee Bayreuth](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-rohrensee-bayreuth) — Bayern, DE · Zoo - [Wilhelma Zoologisch-Botanischer Garten Stuttgart](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wilhelma-stuttgart) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Zoo - [Tepilora Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tepilora-regional-nature-park) — IT · Park - [Tiergarten (Berlin)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tiergarten-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park [View all places to see Common Moorhen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-moorhen) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Moorhen: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-moorhen)