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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
common
moorhen, swamp chicken |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Gruiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Rallidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Gallinula
chloropus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
moorhen coloration is distinctive, with a slate-black
breast, dark black head and neck, olive-green back,
white rump, and a white stripe on each flank. The
moorhen stands erect on large yellow legs and feet.
Each leg has a red band above the upper joint just
below the feathers. The feature that distinguishes
it from other gallinules is the bright red shield
on the face between the eyes. |
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| SIZE: |
Adults
may be 36 cm (14 in.) in length |
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| WEIGHT: |
Adult
common moorhens weigh between 200-340 g (7-12 oz.) |
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| INCUBATION: |
Both male and female share the task of incubating
the eggs. After about 3 weeks, the chicks hatch.
The young are able to swim soon after they hatch,
but interestingly enough they lose this skill as
they mature. |
| CLUTCH
SIZE: |
Common
moorhens breed from April to August. The female
lays a clutch of 6-10 eggs, and may lay 2-3 clutches
in a season. |
| FLEDGING
DURATION: |
Within
3 weeks the young are able to feed themselves and
within 7 weeks they are able to fly. The young,
however, stay with their parents until fall to help
raise later broods. |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Rarely
live more than 3 years |
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| RANGE: |
A
common water bird, the moorhen is plentiful in North,
Central, and South America as well as Eurasia, Africa,
and Indonesia |
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| HABITAT: |
This
bird can be found in freshwater ponds, marshes,
parks, and other public places where it can hide
and feed among the reeds. It is less common in brackish
or saltwater areas. Some moorhens have been known
to fly great distances, especially those in northern
areas, which migrate south during the winter. |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
The
Hawaiian and Mariana subspecies are listed as Endangered |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Except
during the breeding season, moorhens are social
birds that gather into flocks of 15-30 individuals.
An older adult male is generally the dominant member
of these groups. |
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| 2. |
This bird is also called a swamp chicken since it
is about the size of chicken and has a chicken-like
body shape. |
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| Although
not considered threatened, common moorhens face
the continued threat of habitat destruction and
hunting by humans. |
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|
|
Perrins, C.M. and Alex Middleton. The Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Birds. New York: Prentice
Hall Press, 1990.
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| Peterson,
R.T. A Field Guide to Western Birds. Boston.
Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990. |
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| http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts |
|
Gough,
G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification
Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, Laurel, MD.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.html |
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