The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the waterhen, is a bird in the rail family (Rallidae) found across Africa, Europe, and Asia, primarily in wetlands like marshes and ponds. It has black and brown plumage, a white under-tail, yellow legs, and a distinctive red bill with a yellow tip. Juveniles lack the red shield of adults.
Common moorhens produce a range of calls and hiss when threatened. They typically measure 30 to 38 cm in length and weigh between 192 to 500 g. While they are resident in many areas, populations in colder regions migrate during winter.
Feeding on various vegetation and small aquatic creatures, moorhens often forage near or in water. They are territorial during the breeding season, nesting in dense vegetation, typically laying 5 to 8 eggs. Both parents care for the young, which fledge after about 40–50 days.
Common moorhens also engage in nest parasitism, laying eggs in the nests of other moorhens or different species when nesting sites are limited.
