Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE CRANE-LIKE BIRDS

THE RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS

Moor-hen

Closely allied to the last is the Moor-hen, or Water-hen (G. chloropus), of the Old World, being, however, slightly smaller and with the frontal shield truncated instead of pointed at the back. It is an abundant bird in the British Islands, where, according to Hudson, if”it is not molested, and the stream, or pond, or ditch it inhabits is close to the homestead, it becomes almost domestic in its habits, and will freely mix with the poultry and share their food.”

Otherwise it has similar habits and frequents much the same localities as the Florida Gallinule, building a similar nest among the reeds or rushes.

Two or three broods are reared in a season, and”it has been observed that the young of the first brood sometimes assists the parents in making a new nest and in rearing the young of the second brood.”Other species to the number of half a dozen are found in South America, Africa, Australia, Oceanica, etc.

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