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Moorhen bird is also called the swamp or water chicken. She lives in the wet grass. This bird flies quite rarely. From a distance, the color looks ordinary, but on closer examination it is very interesting and unusual. In the autumn they are actively hunting.
Description
The bird lives in the ponds or on the marshy shores. The length of the moorhen is about 31 cm. It weighs about 200-500 g. The wingspan of this interesting bird is about 195 cm. The plumage has a blue color with stripes on the sides. Light plumage on the belly. Sometimes there are brown and olive individuals. On wings plumage is dark gray. During molting, the breasts and feathers on the ends turn white. Some parts of the body become variegated. They molt in the fall and winter.
The beak is short, red. On the tip there is a green and yellow color. Paws strong and long, claws slightly curved.There are no membranes between the fingers, which distinguishes the bird from many other individuals living near water bodies.
Representatives of different sexes are not very different from each other, and young individuals have a brighter plumage. The difference between the male and the female in body length is about 2.5 cm. The young plumage on the chest of young individuals is gray, the undertail is white. There is no red spot on the forehead.
Chicks hatch black, with some greenish tint on the back. They have a rare fluff on their heads. The beak is orange. Yellowish at the end.
general characteristics
When the bird is concentrated, from afar you can hear something like “hens-rr.”
In the spring and at night, it screams "CRE".
In flight, screaming quietly and in one voice.
Representatives of this species are rarely lifted into the air, without running up. Fly usually only straight and fast. It is in this manner that hunters distinguish this species from other birds. In flight, the bird's neck is pulled forward. And her paws are set back. Moorhen land vertically, sitting on the branches of trees.It flies very well among the trees, bending around the branches.
The bird, although it lives near water bodies, does not like water very much. Spends more time in the thickets near the shore. It can move very quickly over land, bending its legs.
Habitat
You can meet this bird on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia. They also do not live in the northern latitudes of Eurasia and North America.
Depending on where the birds live, they can be sedentary or migratory. Populations living in Western Europe do not fly away for the winter. Birds living in the center of Asia and in the south of the African continent are also sedentary.
Moorhen, living in Eastern Europe, in the Far East and in the western part of Siberia - migratory. They winter in India and northern Africa.
Moorhes that live in North America live in the south and east of the United States, as well as in Mexico. In South America, they live in the north and in the center of the continent. Their habitat reaches Peru and Argentina.
Birds fly for wintering to warmer areas in the event that the reservoir near which they live, freeze for the winter.If the reservoir is not covered with ice, they remain at nesting sites all year round.
Moult
Shedding begins at the age of the year. It occurs in the fall or midsummer. In juveniles, the plumage varies only partially.
Adults molt during the breeding season. During shedding, small and large feathers change. Flywheels also fall out. As a result, the bird temporarily loses its ability to fly. By winter, the plumage changes to a new one.
Nutrition
In the diet of moorhen is and plant and animal food. They eat aquatic and terrestrial insects. Their favorite food is the larvae, spiders, and various clams.
Insect birds most often pecks off the reed stalks. Having immersed the head in water, the bird can reach insects. From the vegetation they eat shoots and berries growing near nesting sites.
Breeding
Representatives of this species become sexually mature at the age of the year. Even if there are a lot of moorings on the same territory, couples nest separately from others. On one small pond most often live only one pair of moorhen.While in larger bodies of water several pairs of these birds can live. But they build nests at a distance of about 80 m from each other. In addition, each couple near the reservoir has its own area where they feed, without going into foreign territory. The nest is quite large in size. It greatly exceeds the size of the bird itself. During the incubation period, the diameter of the nest can be about 21-24 cm. And when the chicks appear in it, they start to trample it - the diameter increases by 5-10 cm.
The nest consists of one material. Most often the moorhen builds it from old leaves and reed roots, sometimes it also uses reeds. Occasionally birds can build their home from sedge. The whole nest is loose, and the bird lining the tray with thin wet leaves. When they dry, they stick together. As a result, the surface is smooth.
Depending on the habitat of the birds, the nest may be located on a tree, reed or reeds. It can even be on the stump. But it is always in a flooded area. The bird swims up to him in the water.
If the nest of the moorhen is located in the thickets of reeds or rushes, it touches the water, then rises above its surface. If the water level in the river changes dramatically, the bird usually builds a nest in the trees at a height of 2-3 m.
At one time, the female lays 6-12 eggs. A greater number happens only occasionally. In appearance, similar to the eggs of the bird sultanka. But at the moorhen they are somewhat smaller in size. Some are pale green, some are yellow with a rust hue. In addition, the color of the egg can be any, which is intermediate between the two described shades. Sometimes on the main background there are spots of different sizes. They may be brown, gray or light.
During the summer the moorhen hatching chicks twice. The first time occurs in April-May. The second is at the end of June and throughout July. During this period, you can hear the voice of a male, which in the other months of the year is mostly silent. They scream at dawn and in the dark. The voice is heard not only from the undergrowth, but also from the air when the bird flies. Nest with an egg can be seen from April until August. In August, there are practically no eggs.
Chicks hatch from late May to mid-summer.The female lays one egg per day. It starts incubating when almost all the eggs have been laid. Almost all the time the female incubates them. The male can come to her aid only occasionally. But during incubation and when the chicks are still small, both parents are near the nest to protect them and take care of the offspring. Hatching lasts about 3 weeks.
As soon as the chicks are born, they can swim very well immediately and even dive. Those who emerged from the first clutch, are forced to quickly adapt to independent living, as parents are engaged in the second brood. When they grow half the size of an adult,begin to disperse along the reed beds, and return only to rest. Chicks from the second clutch are together until the very departure.
Scamphog hunting
Among the hunters, some birds are very popular. And the moorhen is one of such representatives of birds. Hunters love her for the beautiful appearance and taste of meat. From it you can cook excellent dishes in nature or at home. From meat you can cook a very good broth or just fry on the fire. When baking over a fire, it is recommended to use spices in a minimum quantity. Smoke gives the meat a wonderful aroma.
Video: Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
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