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Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Gallareta Común
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Photo: B. Hallett
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Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Gallareta Común
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Photo: B. Hallett
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| IDENTIFICATION:
A slate gray body with a white line on the side, and a
bright red facial shield. Length: 32-35 cm.; weight: 310-456 g.
VOICE: A stuttering, trumpet-like call note, as well as various clucking noises. Audio (M. Oberle). HABITAT: Freshwater and brackish marshes, canals, ditches, mangroves, and ponds with dense vegetation; also stream banks and wet lawns near water. HABITS: Feeds mostly on algae, plant leaves, and seeds; and less commonly on insects, worms, frogs, and sometimes eggs and chicks of other birds. It forages by dipping its head in the water, or walking on floating vegetation, inspecting under leaves for food. It also grazes on lawns, and is common at golf course ponds. Both sexes build the nest on floating vegetation, in a shrub, or on the ground near water. Both sexes incubate the 3-12 eggs for 19-22 days. The female sometimes lays her eggs in the nest of another Moorhen. Birds from previous broods will help the parents care for the young. Chicks fledge at 6-7 weeks. STATUS AND CONSERVATION: A common, permanent resident in marshes in Puerto Rico. The drainage of wetlands has decreased habitat for this species. But the ever-increasing number of hotels and resorts, with their accompanying golf courses and water holes, is offering new habitat for this species. RANGE: Breeds from eastern North America and California, south through Central America and the Caribbean to northern Argentina. It also breeds in Asia, Africa and Europe. Regular places to find this species are at Serrallés Lakes (PR 512, Km 0.3) near Juana Díaz, and at the Humacao and Ca±o Tiburones Nature Reserves. TAXONOMY: GRUIFORMES; RALLIDAE. Formerly called the Common Gallinule. |
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Photo: A. Sßnchez Mu±oz
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Photo: A. Sßnchez Mu±oz
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: B. Hallett
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Photo: B. Hallett
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Chicks - Photo: G. Beaton
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References Bannor, B. K., and E. Kiviat. 2002. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In The Birds of North America, No. 685 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Bent, A.C. 1926. Life histories of North American marsh birds. Smithsonian Instit. U.S. National Museum Bull. 135. (Reprinted by Dover Press, NY, 1963). del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of Birds of the World, Vol. 3. Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birderÆs handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster/ Fireside, NY. Ortiz Rosas, P. 1981. Guía del cazador: aves de caza y especies protegidas. Depto. de Recursos Naturales, San Juan, PR. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Saliva, J.E. 1994. Vieques y su fauna: Vieques wildlife manual. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Boquerón, PR. Taylor, B. Rails. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots of the world, Yale University and Pica Press. Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |