Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Identification Tips:

• Length: 10.5 inches Wingspan: 21 inches
• Fairly large, duck-like waterbird with short wings and a short tail
• Very short, thick bill
• Frequently seen both swimming and walking
• Often flicks and cocks short tail while walking, exposing white outer undertail coverts which are also easily visible while swimming
• Sexes similar

Adult:

• Red frontal shield above bill
• Red bill with a yellow tip
• Slate gray head, neck, breast and belly
• Brownish back and upperwings
• White stripe along upper flanks
• Tarsus and feet greenish yellow, tibia red

Juvenile:

• Small, dull red frontal shield
• Dark bill with dull yellow tip
• Pale gray-brown head and underparts
• Whitish throat and belly
• Dark gray-brown upperparts
• White stripe along flanks

Similar species:

In poor light, adult can be confused with Purple Gallinule, but can be distinguished by red forehead shield and white flank stripe. American Coot has a whitish bill, lacks the flank stripe and has a slate gray back. Immature Purple Gallinules are much paler and lack the white flank stripe.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.