Genus Gallinula

 

Lesser Moorhen - It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Common Moorhen - Gallinula brodkorbi McCoy, 1963 Gallinula galeata

 

Gallinula comeri - On Gough Island, it appears that the bird's future is secure with the island being a nature reserve and a World Heritage Site. In the mid 1990s, it was estimated that 2500 breeding pairs existed on Gough Island. Gough Island is considered the least disturbed major cool-temperate island ecosystem in the South Atlantic Ocean and hosts one of the most important sea-bird colonies in the world, containing 54 bird species, 22 breeding species, and four threatened species. However, on Tristan da Cunha, it is not classified as a native species and therefore is not protected.

Tasmanian Native-hen - Other common names include Narkie, Native-hen, Waterhen and Turbo chook.

 

Tristan Gallinule - The once abundant Tristan Moorhen had become rare by 1873, and by the end of 19th century it was extinct as a result of hunting, predation by introduced species and habitat destruction by fire. A handful of taxidermical specimens of the Tristan Moorhen have been preserved, including one at Harvard University.

 

Samoan Moorhen - The Samoan Wood Rail , also known as Samoan Moorhen, is a nearly flightless rail endemic to the Samoan island of Savai'i, and probably extinct. As it has evolved adaptations for a more terrestrial lifestyle and at least partly nocturnal habits, it is probably better placed in a distinct genus, Pareudiastes , but this issue has not yet been thoroughly researched. It was known as puna'e to the native Samoans; this was said to relate to the bird's habit of making a jumping dash into cover when startled from its resting place.

 

San Cristobal Moorhen - Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Dusky Moorhen - The New Guinea birds are smaller, at 25-32 cm in length, than the Australian race . In Indonesia, this species is declining because of competition from the closely related Common Moorhen on the islands where both birds occur.

 

Black-tailed Native Hen - The Black-tailed Native-hen is a large dark bird, reaching about 38cm in length and weighing around 400g. This species possesses an erect tail and is endowed almost entirely in brownish-grey and green feathers. Its long legs and lower jaw are a striking pink-orange colour, as well as its eyes which are more of a bright orange colour. This species is not excessively vocal, its main call is an alarm 'kak' sound.

Order : Gruiformes
Family : Rallidae
Genus : Gallinula