Glarinulla chloropus

Colour: blue-black belly, brown back/wings with white stripes on flanks, red beak and yellow/green legs. Juveniles have duller bill and legs.

Size: 32-35cm, wingspan 50-55cm.

Lifespan: 1-3 years.

Where and when: Regent’s Canal and by the pond in Victoria Park, all year round.

Conservation status: amber

Habitat

Moorhens are usually found in fresh and brackish wetlands like marshes, ponds, lakes and slow-moving water courses with vegetation within access. They are distributed across Europe, Asia and some parts of Africa too.

Diet

Omnivorous – they feed on vegetation near water and also eat insects, molluscs, small fish, tadpoles and other birds’ eggs. A moorhen finds its food near the surface of the water, but also forages along vegetative edges and grassland near water. It actually has a habit of flicking its tail while foraging!

Behaviour

They swim with a jerky motion and contain a wide vocalisation including shrieks, clucks and chattering. They are migratory birds – the northern populations migrate towards the south in winter when the water freezes. They are mostly solitary animals, apart from breeding and an occasional group feed, for which they may gather in large groups.

Breeding

Monogamous – form pair-bonds that last for several years. They breed mid-March to mid-May and nest on top of aquatic plans or trees, shrubs or other dense vegetation.