A small waterbird with brown upperparts and slate-grey underparts. It has white undertail- coverts and a jagged white line along flanks. Its red bill has a yellow tip and extends into a red frontal shield. The long legs and large ungainly feet are green in colour. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, but it is not a common bird and is only found on a few freshwater habitats near Tiruvannamalai, like Keezhnathur Eri and Samudram Eri, which aren’t polluted or disturbed too much. When swimming and walking it has a characteristic jerky bobbing of the head, and flicking up of the tail with a flashing of the white undertail. Its flight is usually low over the water, with rapid wing beats and legs trailing behind. It feeds on insects, molluscs and shoots, and will wander away from water into cultivated areas to feed, particularly at dusk and dawn. The call is a sharp and abrupt kirrik-crek-rek-rek uttered from within the reed-beds in the morning and evening.
🗒 Synonyms
| No Data |
🗒 Common Names
| Assamese |
|
| English |
|
| en |
|
📚 Overview
Summary
Bird group
Rails and coots
SubSpecies Varieties Races
Gallinula chloropus chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Europe, Northern Africa, Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde Islands, East through Western, Central & Southern Asia to Japan, South to Sri Lanka and Central Malay Peninsula; Northern populations winter in South to Mediterranean region, sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.
Gallinula chloropus meridionalis (C. L. Brehm, 1831) – sub-Saharan Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe, and St Helena.
Gallinula chloropus pyrrhorrhoa (A. Newton, 1861) – Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius.
Gallinula chloropus orientalis (Horsfield, 1821) – Seychelles, Andaman Islands, Southern Peninsular Malaysia, Greater Sundas and West Lesser Sundas to Philippines and Palau Islands.
Gallinula chloropus guami (E. J. O. Hartert, 1917) – Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
📚 Natural History
Size
Relative Size (Birds)
Partridge±
Length: 30 to 38 cm, weight: 192 to 500 g. wingspan: 50 to 62 cm.
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Marine
Freshwater
Occurs in beels and swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, village tanks and ditches.
Description
Global Distribution
India, Bangladesh, Myanmr, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Distribution In India
Throughout the Indian Union up to 2000m above msl
Distribution In Assam
Migratory in Assam
Global Distribution
Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Guam; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Micronesia, Federated States of ; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Niger; Nigeria; Northern Mariana Islands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palau; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Réunion; Romania; Russian Federation (Central Asian Russia, Eastern Asian Russia, European Russia); Rwanda; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Sao Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Regionally extinct: Equatorial Guinea Vagrant: Faroe Islands; Gibraltar; Greenland; Iceland; Svalbard and Jan Mayen
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Trends
Stable
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Category
Least Concern
IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
📚 Information Listing
References
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2016. Checklist of the birds of India (v1.1). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 03 October, 2016].
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2018. Checklist of the birds of India (v2.0). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 31 January, 2018].
- Taylor, B., Christie, D.A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2018). Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53688 on 4 May 2018).
- BirdLife International. 2016. Gallinula chloropus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T62120190A86175318. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T62120190A86175318.en. Downloaded on 04 May 2018.
Information Listing > References
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2016. Checklist of the birds of India (v1.1). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 03 October, 2016].
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2018. Checklist of the birds of India (v2.0). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 31 January, 2018].
- Taylor, B., Christie, D.A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2018). Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53688 on 4 May 2018).
- BirdLife International. 2016. Gallinula chloropus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T62120190A86175318. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T62120190A86175318.en. Downloaded on 04 May 2018.
The pattern of bird distribution along the elevation gradient of the Sutlej River basin, western Himalaya, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaThe composition and status of waterbirds of Perur Lake in Tamil Nadu, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaChecklist of the avifauna of Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaUrban biodiversity: an insight into the terrestrial vertebrate diversity of Guwahati, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaDiversity and status of avifauna in man-made sacred ponds of Kurukshetra, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAn annotated checklist of the birds of upper Chenab catchment, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaReport of the early winter migrants and resident birds in an inland wetland near Tundi Camp, Bajana, Gujarat
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAn annotated checklist of the birds of the upper Siang region, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaA checklist of bird communities In Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary, the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaStatus and conservation issues of wetland birds in Komaranahalli Lake, Davanagere District, Karnataka, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaA Study on Avifaunal Diversity and their Conservati on Status of Chandubi Tectonic Lake, Assam, India
MB
Mayur BawriA checklist of avian fauna at Jeypore Reserve Forest, eastern Assam, India with special reference to globally threatened and endemic species in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot
OS
Oinam Sunanda DeviEarly winter avifaunal diversity from Buxa Tiger Reserve and Rasikbeel Wetland Complex of northern part of West Bengal, India
SA
Sagar AdhuryaA reassessment of the avian species diversity in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, after the Vernay Survey
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAvifauna of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAvian diversity and density estimation of birds of the Indian Institute of Forest Management Campus, Bhopal, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaA checklist of the winter bird community in different habitat types of Rosekandy Tea Estate of Assam, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAvifaunal diversity of Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaStatus of wetland birds of Chhilchhila Wildlife Sanctuary, Haryana, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaComposition and conservation status of avian species at Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaFirst detailed survey of waterbirds in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, Tamil Nadu, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAn updated checklist of birds of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAn inventory of mammals, birds and reptiles along a section of the river and banks of upper Ganges, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaA checklist of avian fauna at Jeypore Reserve Forest, eastern Assam, India with special reference to globally threatened and endemic species in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaOrnithofauna and its conservation in the Kuttanad wetlands, southern portion of Vembanad-Kole Ramsar site, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaA preliminary survey on the avian community of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaHuman interference and avifaunal diversity of two wetlands of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaStatus of waterbirds at Hathnikund Barrage wetland, Yamunanagar District, Haryana, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaConsolidated checklist of birds in the Pallikaranai Wetlands, Chennai, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaCommunication value of displays and postures in Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Aves: Pycnonotidae)
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaAppendix 2 Short notes in MIN Newsletter of the IUCN-SSCWI Freshwater Fish Specialist Group South Asia and the Freshwater Fish Conservation Network of South Asia
c
cepfritTechnical Report Kanagavel, A. and R. Pandya 2013. Establishing Community Conservation Reserves in the Anamalai Corridor. Technical Report. WILD, Coimbatore
c
cepfritComposition and conservation status of avian species at Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India
Z
ZarreenNo Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Gruiformes |
| Family | Rallidae |
| Genus | Gallinula |
| Species | Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus 1758) |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
👥 Groups
