Eurasian Moorhen

Adults have dark slate-grey to blackish plumage with a brownish tinge on the back, a prominent white line along the flanks, and striking white undertail coverts visible when the tail is cocked. They feature a bright red frontal shield on the forehead and a red bill tipped with yellow. Juveniles are duller and browner, lacking the red shield and bill.

Bright red frontal shield and bill with a yellow tip, dark body, conspicuous white flank stripe, and stark white undertail coverts.

Length: 30-38 cm, Wingspan: 50-62 cm, Weight: 192-500 g

A wide variety of loud, sharp, and often raucous calls, including sharp 'kruk' notes, explosive squeaks, and cackling sounds.

Omnivorous; feeds on aquatic plants, seeds, fruits, grasses, small insects, mollusks, and occasionally small fish or vertebrate carrion. Forages by swimming, dabbling, and occasionally grazing on land.

Freshwater wetlands, marshes, flooded woodlands, well-vegetated ponds, lakes, slow-moving rivers, and agricultural drainage ditches.

Resident in temperate and tropical regions, but northernmost populations are migratory, moving to ice-free waters in winter.

Builds a bulky cup nest of reeds and sedges hidden in dense wetland vegetation or low trees over water. Lays 5-11 eggs per clutch, with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties, sometimes aided by offspring from previous broods as helpers.

American Coot (lacks the red bill and white flank stripe, has a white frontal shield and lobed toes); Common Gallinule (very similar to Eurasian Moorhen and formerly considered the same species, found in the Americas).

Acts as an important seed disperser for aquatic plants, helps control aquatic invertebrate populations, and serves as prey for various wetland predators such as raptors and mammals.

Least Concern, with a stable global population trend.

Look for them in calm freshwater habitats with dense emergent vegetation like reeds and rushes. Approach quietly, as they tend to swim into cover when disturbed, and watch for their habit of flicking their white tail feathers.

Moorhens are surprisingly good swimmers despite lacking webbed feet, using their long toes to walk across floating lily pads and vegetation.