| Range: |
Eurasia, African, southern Asia, Pacific Islands, North America, South America |
| Habitat: |
Marshes, swampy woodlands, reedbeds |
| Conservation Status: |
Common |
| Scientific Name: |
Gallinula chloropus |
The common moorhen has a slate-grey body with a conspicuous red patch on its head and a red bill with a yellow tip. Males and females look similar, though the male is slightly larger. Though they don't have webbed feet, these duck-like birds are good divers and swimmers, constantly bobbing their head as they move across open water. Their long toes also allow them to walk on floating plants. Common moorhens rarely fly, but will half-run, half-flutter across the water to escape predators. They eat a variety of aquatic plants, berries, seeds, grass, as well as snails, insects and worms. Male moorhens build several nests on the pair's territory. Once the chicks leave, the parents may use the extra nests to sleep in at night.
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