Moorhen Gallinula chloropus   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae
BTO Codes: MH, MOORH EURING No: 4240
Number in Britain: 240 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: chloropus recorded in Britain (of 12 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 34 cm Wingspan: 52 cm Weight: M/F: 320 g    
Scientific name from: L.: gallinula=a little hen and Gr.: khloros=green + pous=foot
World Distribution: Europe, Asia & Americas
Habitat: Marsh, reedbed, small lakes
Diet: Omnivorous, feeds while swimming or walking on floating vegetation or land (esp damp meadows)
TitBit: The Moorhen is one of only two British birds which breed co-operatively, with older young birds helping their parents raise subsequent offspring.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
Abundance Maps: Population Density   Change in Density   Guide to Interpretation
British Population Size:
    Summer: 240 thousand territories in 1988-91
    Winter: 320 thousand individuals in 2004-09     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: Recorded in Medieval times [Fossil evidence from Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: chloropus GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Ponds
    Also common in: Along Rivers
    And found in: Lakes
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries
European Population Size:
    Summer: 830 thousand to 1.6 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(II), WBD(II*), Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 43 x 31 mm Egg Weight: 22.3 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 473
Clutch Size: 5 - 7 eggs 6.28 ± 1.80 (2 - 13) N = 3263
Incubation: 20- 22 days 20.10 ± 1.57 (17 - 22.5) N = 3263   by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 53 - 56days 54.09 ± 2.73 (52.5 - 57.5) N = 2273 as: Precocial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 2
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.623 ± 0.052       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 11 years 3 months 20 days (set in 1963)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: F*
Wing Length Adult: 182.5 ± 8.7     Range 140.0 - 215.0 mm, (N = 1192)
Juvenile: 179.7 ± 9.4     Range 134.0 - 220.0 mm, (N = 1232)
Male: 187.9 ± 5.8     Range 140.0 - 215.0 mm, (N = 523)
Female: 174.3 ± 5.2     Range 155.0 - 208.0 mm, (N = 252)
Weight Adult: 364.1 ± 68.08 Range 165.0 - 610.0 g , (N =591)
Juvenile: 308.9 ± 64.6 Range 110.0 - 525.0 . , (N =1013)
Male: 384.3 ± 64.83 Range 181.0 - 555.0 g , (N =295)
Female: 329.7 ± 56.05 Range 171.0 - 460.0 g , (N =114)
Seasonal: Summer 349.7 ± 53.15 (N = 190)   Autumn 363.8 ± 63.65 (N = 312)   Winter 371.5 ± 60.88 (N = 980)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Common Moorhen
Gaelic: Cearc-uisge Welsh: Iâr Ddwr
Danish: Grønbenet rørhøne Dutch: Waterhoen
Finnish: Liejukana French: Poule d'eau
German: Teichhuhn Hungarian: Vízityúk
Icelandic: Sefhæna Irish: Cearc Uisce
Italian: Gallinella d’acqua Norwegian: Sivhøne
Polish: Kokoszka zwyczajna Portuguese: Galinha-d'água
Spanish: Polla de agua Swedish: Rörhöna
Local Names:Waterhen

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Taylor, B. & van Perlo, B. 1998 Rails Pica Press, Sussex [598.554 TAY]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
All About Birds (from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Details from the Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead