What to Know About the Common Moorhen in Uganda?

The Common Moorhen and the Common Gallinule were formerly the same species, but the latter is now a full species named Gallinula galeata.

Some morphological and behavioral differences confirm this new taxonomy. The common moorhen, also known as the waterhen and as the swamp chicken is a bird species in the family Rallida.

The word moor here is an old sense meaning marsh; the species is not usually found in moorland. An older name, common waterhen, is more descriptive of the bird’s habitat.

The scientific name Gallinula Chloropus comes from the Latin Gallinula which means a small hen or chicken. It has a length 30-38cm, Wingspan 50-55cm and Weight 271-339g.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Look Like?

The Common Moorhen has slate-black plumage. Upperparts are brownish. We can see a white stripe on flanks and white lateral under tail coverts.

The pointed bill is red with yellow tip, and extends upwards in red frontal plate. The eyes are dark red. Legs and long feet are bright yellow-green or yellow, with red-orange upper half of tibia.

Both sexes are similar, with male slightly larger than female. The juvenile is brownish with paler throat and belly.

It has duller whitish-buff stripe on flanks. Bill and legs are dusky. The chicks are covered in black down, and have red bill with black tip.

The Old-World birds have mostly elliptic shield, whereas the New World birds have top almost squared and widest near the top.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

The Common Moorhen utters a variety of sharp calls. We can frequently hear a low, rolling “krrruck”, a sudden short “chuck”, and a sharp “kik” or “kittick”.

It gives a repeated fast clucking “krek-krek-krek-krek” often in flight, and mainly at night during spring. When they fight, the birds utter short clocking chatter.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Feed?

This species is omnivorous, and feeds on seeds, grass, rootlets and soft parts of aquatic plants taken by diving.

They also eat snails, worms, crayfish, grasshoppers, insects, algae, tadpoles and berries. It feeds by picking food from the surface, or from aquatic emergent vegetation.

It dips the head, dabbles and may sometimes dives for food. It takes molluscs and seeds from the underside of the floating leaves.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Nest?

The Common Moorhen’s nest is a wide shallow cup made with dead vegetation (stems of cattails), well rimmed and lined with grass and leaves.

The nest is located in shallow water, but anchored with stems to the emergent vegetation. Sometimes, the nest may be located on the ground, in a low shrub, or on floating vegetation.

This species often breeds in urban waters, and the nest is usually lined with paper, string, plastic and all debris found in the vicinity.

Both adults build the nest. A sloping runway allows reaching or leaving the nest. They may nest in small colonies sometimes.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Breed

The breeding season varies according to the range. During the courtship displays, the male brings water weeds to the female.

It also fans out its tail, in order to display the white under tail-coverts. They are monogamous and territorial.

The pair-bonds may last for several following years.  They build several nests, and once the chicks leave the main nest, they are used for sleeping at night.

How Does the Common Moorhen in Uganda Reproduce?

The female lays 6 to 10 buffy-white to whitish eggs, spotted with brown. The incubation lasts about 18 to 21 days, shared by both parents.

The incubation starts with the first egg laid, and up to four days often separate the first from the last egg hatched.

The chicks are precocial, and fed by both adults. But the young leave the nest very soon, within 2-3 days, and are able to feed themselves within a few days of birth.

They fledge about 5-7 weeks after hatching. This species may produce up to 3 or even 4 broods per season at 20-30 days interval, reusing the same nests.