Dusky Moorhen - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Neil
Sydney, Australia, December, 2003

Gallinula tenebrosa

Identification

Very similar to Common Moorhen but differ in having red legs (sometimes only above the knee) in the adult and in lacking the white flank stripe.

Distribution

Borneo, through Indonesia to New Guinea and Australia (including Tasmania).

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies¹:

• G. t. frontata:

• South-eastern Borneo to Sulawesi, southern Moluccas, Lesser Sundas, south-eastern New Guinea

• G. t. neumanni:

• Northern New Guinea

• G. t. tenebrosa:

• Locally in south-western and eastern Australia and Tasmania

Chick
Photo by colonelboris
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia, December 2009

Habitat

Lowland well vegetated wetlands, including swamps, rivers. town lakes, also mangroves in dry periods. They prefer open water and water margins with reeds, rushes and waterlilies.

Behaviour

Sedentary or dispersive.

Diet

The diet includes plants and insects.

Breeding

Its bulky nest is placed at the water's edge; 5-18 whitish eggs are laid.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Dusky Moorhen. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Dusky_Moorhen

External Links

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