Common moorhen
Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Overview
The common moorhen, also known as the waterhen, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World, across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests; generally it is one of the most common Old World rail species, together with the Eurasian coot in some regions.
From the Wikipedia article “Common moorhen”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Adult weight | 348 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “AVIAN BODY SIZES IN RELATION TO FECUNDITY, MATING SYSTEM, DISPLAY BEHAVIOR, AND RESOURCE SHARING”, article by Terje Lislevand et al published June 2007 in Ecology.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Africa; Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China); North America; Oceania; Southern Asia.
Common names
Also known in English as Eurasian Moorhen.
Names in other languages (12)
- Arabic
- دجاجة الماء خضراء الأقدام
- Bengali
- পাতি জলমুরগি
- Chinese
- 黑水鸡
- French
- gallinule poule-d'eau
- German
- Teichhuhn, Teichralle
- Indonesian
- mandar batu
- Japanese
- バン
- Persian
- چارخوی مرداب
- Portuguese
- Galinha-d'água, galinha-d'água-comum, galinha-de-água-comum
- Russian
- камышница
- Spanish
- Gallineta común, Gallineta frente roja
- Turkish
- Saztavuğu
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q18847, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Common moorhen”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Alexis Lours, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — Viktor Kravtchenko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026