The Moor-Hen — Gallinula Chloropus (Linnæus)
This is the commonest, tamest, and best known of the Rails, and occurs abundantly throughout the British Isles wherever some water surrounded by cover is found, even though it be a small ditch or pond. It has even penetrated into the heart of London, and may be watched as it comes out to pick up the crumbs thrown by the passer-by, and takes them back to her young concealed in the rushes. Their food consists of insects, worms, slugs, aquatic vegetation, and a certain amount of grain. In some districts considerable damage is done in early spring to the watercress beds, the fresh tender shoots being nipped off as soon as they start to grow.
In April several nests are partially begun; these are generally situated in clumps of sedge or rushes, but are sometimes built under bushes, or even trees, at some height above the ground. In one of these partially-built structures the eggs will be laid, and as soon as the site has been definitely chosen a considerable amount of material is added, and the higher leaves of the sedge are often bent over so as to conceal it from above. The young when first hatched are black, with the base of the beak bright red like that of their parents, but after about a fortnight this colour is lost, the beak and frontal plate becoming brownish green. The first few weeks are spent entirely on the water or in the thick cover fringing the banks of a pond or stream, and at such times the half-completed nests are utilised as nurseries on which to brood the young. Both parents feed and tend the young, and on the approach of danger safety is sought by diving. When swimming the Moor-hen proceeds slowly, with a curious bobbing motion of the head and neck, and on land, when undisturbed, it walks slowly, raising its tail at every step and thus displaying the white under tail coverts; if alarmed, however, it lowers its head and runs with considerable rapidity and shows no white whatever. It remains on the ground all day and roosts at night among the sedges and rushes, but in frosty weather it invariably roosts on trees.
The sexes are much alike: the upper parts dark olive brown; head, neck, and under parts bluish grey; the flank feathers streaked with white, under tail coverts white. Bill bright red at the base, with yellow tip in summer; dull olive brown in autumn and early winter. Legs greenish yellow. The young have the chin white, under parts greyish brown; they are also greyer on the back than the adults. Length 13 in.; wing 6·75 in.