(Please see picture gallery below – if you have any pix please send to sheilaelliot@yahoo.com)

January Bird of the Month – Common Gallinule (Common Moorhen)

From Ben Kolstad’s article in the January Kite: “What’s that? You’ve never heard of the Purple Gallinule’s cousin, Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)? That must mean you’ve started birding within the past few decades. Because our once-familiar (and still quite common) “Common Moorhen” is now once again known by its former common name, Common Gallinule. The more things change, the more they stay the same! So my 1966 Golden Guide is once again accurate, at least for the English name; unfortunately, this name change also comes with a taxonomic change—that’s right, the AOU has, in its infinite wisdom, decided that its previous “lumping” of this species with the old-world “moorhen” was not accurate. So our familiar black-marshbird-with-two-taillights and a candycorn head shield is now taxonomically split from its Eurasian congener, G. chloropus. Still with me? Good!

I’m sure you know this bird, though; you see this chunky little rail frequently at our local wetlands. Although its feet are not webbed; it’s still quite a good swimmer. And just like their rarer, showier cousins, the Purple Gallinule (see next month’s column!), these birds have more than one brood per year. And the first brood helps feed and defend the second.”

Come to our January meeting to hear more about this fascinating bird from our expert, Clive Pinnock.

(Photographer’s please note that next month’s February 2014 Bird will be the Purple Gallinule)