Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Rails, Gallinules and Coots :: Common Moorhen

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Described by: Linnaeus (1758)
Alternate common name(s): Moorhen
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

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Range

Almost worldwide distribution;
Many populations;
(1) Azores, Canary Is., and Cape Verde Is., throughout Europe from British Isles, France, Spain, and s. Scandinavia (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark) across c. Russia to se. Siberia, n. China, and Japan s. to n. Africa (n. Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, n. Chad and Egypt (Nile Valley s. to Aswan)), Middle East in Israel, Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Turkestan, Transcaspia, Kazakhstan to sw. Altai, w. China (Xinjiang, Uygur region, Kashi to Yining, and Ruoqiang) to Far East in s. Sakhalin, s. Ussuriland, Manchuria, and Korea, Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) s. in China from Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi, s. to Chang Jiang River and through s. China w. to Sichuan, Yunnan, and s. Xizang to Taiwan, Hainan and Indochina, Thailand s. to c. Malay Peninsula w. through Burma, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Possibly breeds in n. Mongolia and sw. Transbaikalia.
N. populations winter s. to Mediterranean region, n. Africa (n. Morocco, n. and s. Algeria, Tunisia, Libya (coastal and inland at Hon), Egypt s. to Aswan and Kharga oasis, Israel, Arabia, sub-Saharan Africa in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, c. Mali (Niger basin), s. and n. Niger, ex. n. Nigeria (Kazaure), c. Chad from Lake Chad to Abeche and Sudan. Wintering areas in s. Asia are not as well known. Se. and e. China s. of the s. of the Chang Jiang River. Possibly also winters in n. Borneo.
(2) Sub-Saharan Africa from n. Senegal (Djoudj National Park), Gambia?, c. Mali (Niger basin), s. Niger, Guinea-Bissau (Bafata), Guinea? (Gbe outfall), c. and n. Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, n. Central African Republic, Ethiopia (highlands), Eritrea, nw. and s. Somalia, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, w. and c. Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Pemba Is., Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa and St. Helena (colonized ca. 1930). Formerly in the Annobon Is. (Pagalu).
(3) Madagascar, Comoro Is., Mauritius and Reunion.
(4) Seychelles, Andaman Is. to s. Malaysia, Sulawesi, Siam, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kingman Is. and w. Lesser Sundas (Flores, Lombok, Sumba, and Sumbawa), Philippines (Basilan, Bohol, Calayan, Catanduanes, Cebu, Guimaras, Leyte, Luzon, Mindoro, Negroes, Panay, Samar, Mindanao, and Palawan) and Palau Is. (Angaur).
(5) N. Mariana Is. (Tinian, Saipan, and Guam). Formerly on Pagan and Rota.
(6) Hawaiian Is. (Kauai, Oahu, and reintroduced to Molokai).
(7) The United States from c. and s. California, c. Arizona, Nevada, Utah, n. New Mexico, w. and nc. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, se. Minnesota, w. Wisconsin, nc. Michigan, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and se. Canada (se. Ontario, sw. Quebec with an isolated breeding population at the Bay of Fundy, ne. New Brunswick and ex. w. Nova Scotia) s. through Central America in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala to w. Panama (w. Bocas del Toro), Bermuda and the Galapagos Is. (San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, San Isabela, Floreana, and Fernandina).
N. populations winter s. along coast from North Carolina to Texas through Mexico to Panama, West Indies and possibly n. South America.
(8) West Indies (Greater Antilles (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Is.), and Lesser Antilles) and Tobago.
(9) Barbados.
(10) C. and e. Panama (Rio Chagres, and Canal Zone), n. and w. Colombia (Cauca Valley, Magdalena Valley and local e. of Andes), w. Ecuador (Ibarra, and formerly Pichincha), and coastal nw. Peru s. at least to Mejia area of Arequipa.
(11) Andes of Peru (Arequipa, Cuzco, Huancavelica, and Junin to Ancash), Bolivia (La Paz, Potosi, and Cochabamba), n. Chile (Tarapaca and Chacance in Tocopilla), and nw. Argentina (Jujuy and Salta).
(12) Trinidad, n. Venezuela (Zulia, Carabobo, Aragua, Monagas), Guyana, Surinam and Guiana (Farez) to c., e., and s. Brazil (Para (Belem), Ceara, Goias, Alagoas, Bahia (Chapada Diamantina), Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay, Uruguay, and n. Argentina from s. Jujuy, n. Salta (Oran), Formosa, Chaco, Tucuman, Catamarca, Mendoza, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Corrientes, Misiones, Entre Rios, and Buenos Aries.

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North America n. of Mexican border;
Summer: wc. and s. CAL, wc. and s. NEV, w. and s. ARZ, ex. sw. and n. UTH (Great Salt Lake), s. NMX, and from c. TEX, e. OKA, c. KAN, ex. se. NEB, IWA, se. MIN e. through c. and s. WIS, w., n., and s. ILL, n. half of MOU, sw. IND, w. KTY, nw. TEN, w. and s. ARK, LOU, s. and e. from s. MIS, n. ALA, c. GEO, FLA, w. and e. SCA, e. NCA, e. VIR, e. MYD, DEL, isolated population in w. WVA, n. IND, c. MIC, n. OHO, nw. and e. PEN, se. ONT, ex. s. QUE, NYK, NJY, VMT, CON, RID, MAS, s. NHP, se. MAE. Isolated population in ex. e. NBR, and ex. w. NSC;
Winter: s. from c. CAL, to s. NEV, ex. sw. UTH, and s. ARZ, sc. NMX, e. TEX, s. LOU, s. MIS, s. ALA, c. GEO, FLA, e. SCA, e. NCA to ex. se. VIR;

Videos

Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Feb 16, 2002 Source: William Hull
Description: Bird is walking in the water and feeding.

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Frans van der Veen

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Naturesongs.com

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Pintails Home (Kim Hyun-Tae)

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: ETI BioInformatics

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

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