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page.Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
The moorhen is widely distributed throughout the whole of Europe except northern Scandinavia. Inhabitants of eastern and northern regions are migratory, those from other parts remain in their nesting grounds for the winter, though sometimes they migrate partially, for example, to western Europe and the Mediterranean. The moorhen returns to its breeding grounds often as early as the middle of March. It inhabits ponds, lakes and slow-moving water courses bordered with thick vegetation. When swimming, it continually flicks its tail. The nest, located in rushes, reeds or clumps of grass, is made mostly of dry reeds by both partners. Each pair has its own nesting territory, which both birds fiercely defend. They have one brood in April or May, a second in June or July, and sometimes a third in August. The female usually lay six to eight, sometimes more, eggs, which both partners take turns incubating for 19 to 22 days. The young, coloured black with a reddish head, are fed by the parents in the nest for two to three days, after which they swim about, but keeping close to cover. The partners bring them insects and their larvae, spiders, small molluscs and the tenderest leaves of duckweed. In the autumn, adult birds add small seeds to their diet.
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