MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Alexis Lours · CC BY 4.0 · source ↗
Common Moorhen
Grootwaterhoender · Gallinula chloropus
A dark slaty waterbird with a bright red-and-yellow bill and a red forehead shield. It swims with a jerky, head-bobbing motion and flicks its white-sided tail. White streaks line its flanks. It feeds at the water's edge on plants and insects, scuttling into the reeds when disturbed.
Log your Common Moorhen sighting — free →How to identify it
A dark, hen-like waterbird with a red bill tipped yellow, a red forehead shield and a white flick under the tail.
Listen for its call
A loud, sudden 'kurrk' and sharp clucking notes from reedy edges.
Where to see it in Kruger
Lives at the reedy edges of pans, dams and quiet backwaters across the park.
Did you know
It flicks its tail up and down as it swims, showing flashes of white like a little signal flag.
Often confused with
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