Moorhen

Moorhen, common name for any member of a genus of water birds of the rail family. Although related and similar in appearance to coots, moorhens lack the leathery lobes on the sides of the toes that characterize the coots. The best-known species is the common moorhen, long known in North America as the Florida gallinule or common gallinule. It is found in temperate and tropical areas of all continents except Australia, where it is replaced by a similar species. About 33 cm (about 13 in) long, this species has a dark-gray head and underparts, a brownish back, and a line of white feathers along the flanks. The short bill is bright red, extended onto the forehead as a leathery shield. In most areas moorhens are rather shy and are confined to marshes and reedy edges of lakes, but in the British Isles they are commonly seen on lawns of city parks that include bodies of water.

Scientific classification: Moorhens make up the genus Gallinula of the family Rallidae, order Gruiformes. The common moorhen is classified as Gallinula chloropus.

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