Moorhens lay up to 21 smooth and glossy, greyish-white eggs with reddish-brown markings. Fledging Duration At 3 weeks of age, young chicks can forage for themselves. The scientific name of the common moorhen is Gallinula chloropus. The are not 'moor' birds, the name being a corruption of 'merehen'. Others are adventurous travellers. Moorhens ringed in Denmark and the Some species can’t do so at all. Moorhens are about 13 inches (33 cm) long with the sexes just about indistinguishable. Adults have a dark brown back and wings, and a white stripe along their side. The Moorhen, (Gallinula chloropus), is common bird in the Rallidae family. • Moorhens will eat other birds’ eggs if they can get to them. Most can fly by 7 weeks of age. Moorhens. Moorhens are often found at parks and can become quite tame. During the breeding season, Common moorhens build several nests; once the chicks leave the main nest, they will use the rest nests for sleeping at night. They are in the same family as coots, and their nervous behaviour has led them to being called 'Skitty Coots' in some areas. The birds are territorial during breeding season. • Young moorhens from previous hatchings often help to care for their parents’ new babies. On a global scale – all subspecies taken together –, the Common Moorhen is as abundant as its vernacular name implies. Despite loss of habitat in parts of its range, the common moorhen remains plentiful and widespread. They are often secretive, but can become tame in some areas. Moorhen Scientific Name. Heavy, and with large rear-ends, rails are reluctant to fly. • Moorhens can fly, but they aren’t very good at it and will only go short distances at any one time. Moorhens are generally monogamous and pair bonds can last for several years. The young, however, stay with their parents until the fall to help raise later broods. Common moorhens are known to swallow sand and gravels in order to help digest the vegetal food. Unlike ducks, both parents incubate typically 8 eggs and feed the young on insects etc. Common moorhens breed from April to August. They learn to fly 7 weeks after hatching, but they stay with their parents until the autumn to … The nest is a basket built on the ground in dense vegetation. Breeding. Laying starts in spring, between mid-March and mid-May in Northern hemisphere temperate regions. In the Lake Ngardok wetlands of Babeldaob, a few dozen still occur, but the total number of Common Moorhens on Palau is about in the same region as the Guam population; less than 100 adult birds (usually less than 50) have been encountered in any survey. Some species can’t do so at all. The female lays a clutch of 6–10 eggs, and may lay 2–3 clutches in a season. Moorhens have red beaks with a yellow tip and blueish heads and underparts. Young moorhens are able to find food on their own at the age of 3 weeks. Both sexes incubate the eggs for up to 19-22 days and chicks fledge at 42-49 days. 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