Common Moorhen

The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a very common bird which inhabits marshes, ponds, lakes, etc. It is also called waterhen, a more apposite name, as it is not ordinarily seen in moorland.

Its plumage is dark, with a white flank stripe and its legs are greenish-yellow, but its most characteristic feature is its red bill with a yellow tip. Thanks to its long toes it can walk on soft mud and floating vegetation. The feet are neither webbed nor lobed, yet the moorhen is a good swimmer.

The caption reads in the original: Gallinula galatea.