Common Moorhen – ForagingGallinula chloropus February – Texas L=14” ...... WS=21”...... WT=11 oz Order: Gruiformes (Rails, Cranes, and Allies) Family: Rallifae (Rails, Gallinules and Coots) The Common Moorhen is a rail with behavioral and appearance characteristics intermediate between the American Coot and Purple Gallinule. It is widespread in the Eastern United States and locally in the Western U.S. The mature bird has a striking appearance, especially its bright red and yellow bill, and makes a variety of loud and unusual calls. Common Moorhens forage for plant materials and micro invertebrates on the water’s surface, along the shoreline, and in submerged plants. In addition to inhabiting the continental United States there is an endemic subspecies with very similar appearance in Hawaii. In Hawaiian mythology, a moorhen brought fire to humans and in the journey the fire scorched the bird, explaining the red on the bill and forehead(†). (†) Pukui, Mary Kawena, ‘Olelo No’eau: Hawaiin Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1983
Common Moorhen – Juveniles watching a passerbyGallinula chloropus July – Texas L=14” ...... WS=21”...... WT=11 oz Order: Gruiformes (Rails, Cranes, and Allies) Family: Rallifae (Rails, Gallinules and Coots) Common Moorhens have large feet and very long toes allowing them to walk on floating plants and very soft soil on shorelines and in marshes. Even though their feet lack lobes or webs they swim well. They nest near emergent vegetation close to relatively open water. The young lack the bright colors of the mature bird and typically stay close to the parent and the nest while learning to forage.
Pied-billed Grebe –foraging Podilymbus podiceps October – Texas L=13” ...... WS=16” ...... WT=1 lb Order: Podicipediformes (Grebes) Family: Podicipedidae (Grebes) The Pied-billed Grebe is a secretive bird with a loud and reaching call that is frequently heard before the bird is spotted. They are seldom seen in flight during the day since they prefer to avoid danger by diving or sinking from view. The sinking is accomplished by expelling air from the area between the feathers and body and from air sacs. Grebes are strong swimmers due to the unusual ability of their feet to rotate 90 degrees between the power stroke and the recovery stroke. This is different from all other families of living birds. In this picture the two grebes were diving for food and every 3-4 minutes they would swim to each other, chatter for about 20 seconds and then dive again.
