Moorhen and Common Coot

A co-production of Pauline van Schaik and Dirk de Jong

MOORHEN AND COMMON COOT

The Moorhen is not related to poultry, but is related - just as the Coot - to the Rail family. Because of ignorance or indifference, these two species are confused or believed to be the same species. Both are well known in areas where there is a lot of water, everywhere in Europe, except in the Northern Areas.

Striking differences The Coot (Fulica atra) especially, adjusts quite easily and can be found in almost every city pond and most people will recognize it. It is merely an unnoticed waterfowl, with its quiet black coat of feathers and white blaze; the head is a deep black, the back shows us a more silvery-black colour. The Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is slightly smaller and a bit more colourful, but it is also much shyer. Next to the steel blue black they carry some white side stripes and also at the bottom of the tail, left and right, a white stripe. The beak is a striking red with a yellow tip. You can also tell both birds apart because of the difference in type. The Coot is bigger and above all much broader, type of a duck with tail in line with the back. The Moorhen is slender with a perky upright tail.

Right: In the sunlight the plumage of the moorhen is not completely black.

Below left: Common Coot. Photos: Dirk de Jong.

Below right: A red beak and white markings in the tail: this is a moorhen. Photo: Ad van Benten.

A lot of similarities as well We cannot tell which are males or females in both species. They look exactly the same. Raising their young is done by both parents. Both species have several breeding cycles during the season and the older young stay close. They are not chased away but help to raise their younger brothers and sisters.

The Coot and the Moorhen can both dive very well, although the Coot does it mainly to feed and the Moorhen dives to hide itself. Both species seem to be able to walk over water, although they use their wings to accomplish this. Like birds, which belong in a swamp, they have rather long legs and very long toes. Those toes spread their weight, so that they can walk on water-plants. The moorhen has beautiful yellow-green legs and toes with an attractive red band above the joint. Coots also have that red band as well, but the legs are of a dark grey and furthermore they have conspicuous webs at the side of their toes. Moorhens do not have webs and often forage at the bank.

Right: Moorhen; note the greenish legs with the long toes. Photo: Pauline van Schaik.

Below: Coot, with grey legs. Note the distinctive lobed flaps of skin on the toes, which act instead of webs when swimming. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

During Winter When it turns cold and the frost covers the water with a layer of ice, Coots gather together in large groups; this habit is not seen with the Moorhens; they retire to open water. Coots try to keep warm together and try to keep a blow-hole in the ice. Moreover a large group is much safer from predators like birds of prey. During this period they live in a very tolerant way with each other. When, however the spring comes they separate and all move away to places where they will reproduce.

Above: In winter Coots form large groups. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

We never see Moorhens in large groups, not even in winter. There are sometimes a few of them together where there is food to be found. Perforce these shy birds sometimes show themselves a little bit more in winter when foraging. Not all Moorhens stay during the whole year, a certain number migrates to more southern destinations.

Spring During the spring some impressive fights can be seen when Coots stand up against each other, high upright, trying to box their opponent away with their breast. No doubt these fights have to do with claiming territory and/or females. Resembling ‘cock-fights’ but now ‘in the wild’. All of it because of the fact that the fittest should survive and reproduce itself. Moorhens chase intruders away as well, their own kind or other waterfowl, because of the fact that they appreciate privacy during the breeding period in their territory.

Above: Coot at its nest. Right: Coot’s eggs.

Below: Coot eggs (above) and Moorhen’s eggs (below, the smaller ones) Photos: Dirk de Jong.

Nests and eggs One cannot tell the difference between the nests of the two species; they both make floating nests, fastened to something, a branch for instance, but also hidden in reed or vegetation. Coots’ nests are always just above the waterline, the Moorhen will try to find a more hidden spot and when offering more protection, it prefers a higher spot in the shrubs.

Colour and size of the eggs do clearly differ. Coots lay slightly larger eggs, light grey with very fine black spots. Moorhen’s eggs are, just like its plumage, a bit more colourful: A warmer grey with irregular red-brown spots and dots.

Although birds and eggs are protected species, I do not want to withhold that if they are fresh, they are very tasty. This might be useful to know whenever you have to survive in nature. The eggs of the Moorhen especially are a delicacy.

Left: Moorhen at its perfectly hidden nest; look for the red beak! Below right: The eggs. Photos: Dirk de Jong.

Left: Coot with its young at the nest. Photo: Ad van Benten.

Below right: Coot with young. Photo: Mick Bassett.

Differences between the chicks Newly hatched Coot chicks have a reddish brown head and beak and orange-yellow manes. When the Coot chicks grow older the red vanishes and the orange yellow colour as well. Lighter feathers appear on the breast and around the beak base. The beak colour changes to white, but that takes a while. Moorhen chicks are totally black and have a half red – half yellow beak, just like their parents. Striking is the fact that the chicks have a bold head, which is of a red colour. Furthermore the moorhen chick is more elegant and has longer legs. When they are a few weeks old the white side stripes become visible. The Moorhen young ones also have the same specific whipping kind of walk as their parents have. Left: Coot with chick. Below: A baby coot. Photos: Dirk de Jong.

Left: A half grown Coot. Below: Moorhen with chick. Photos: Dirk de Jong.

We hope that you will not mix up these superior species any more.

The following is a story by Pauline van Schaik who observed a Moorhen family over several years.

Left: Moorhen with half- grown young. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

OUR WILD MOORHENS By Pauline van Schaik

It has been some years since we came to live here. The piece of land that belonged to the premises was totally neglected. Weeds were knee high and the big drinking pond for the cattle was overflowing. It was quiet in that pond, very quiet..... A little bit of reed grew along the bank and some fish were swimming, that was all. After a lot of work the drinking pond was in order again and we received a couple of ducks, beautiful Cayugas. From the moment they were there, life started in our pond.

Wild swans came by, wild geese and ducks. So many kinds of birds of different races came to take a bath, eat and drink. Doves, Crows, Jackdaws and of course a lot of Sparrows. The ones which are always there: Tits, Finches, Blackbirds and Starlings. Swallows came and nested in the barn, and also Lapwing, Partridge and Common Pied have passed by. We even saw a Kingfisher! Unfortunately my camera was inside the house…..

Left: A Peewit at our pond.

Right: One of our first Moorhens.

But we also had some ‘stayers’: a pair of Moorhens. They were so shy that they only dared to came out of the reed at twilight. We saw the birds shyly swimming around but as soon as they caught a glimpse of us, they fled into the reed. At first we did not know what kind of birds they were, as we could never get a close look. Until we heard their call. And call they can! Actually it is a kind of screaming, when something threatening is occurring. That year the amount of reed along the pond was 3 to 4 meters wide, so wide enough for the Moorhens to hide in.

The behaviour of our ducks told us that something was going on in the reed. As soon as they tried to enter the reed at a particular place they were chased away with a lot of fuss by the much smaller Moorhens. And yes, from time to time we saw one of the birds return into the reed with nest material. They were obviously occupied with building a nursery room. The one Moorhen brought the material to build; the other one did the building. The next weeks we saw only one Moorhen at a time; the other one was keeping the eggs warm. After 3 weeks the moment came. Not that we could spot a young one, no way. But both parents were busy foraging for food for the young, bringing all sorts of delicacies into the reed.

Right: It was only after a week that we caught a glimpse of a chick.

Left and above: The young are fed by their parents for a long time.

After a week we caught a glimpse of a chick. It turned out that there were 4 of them. A nice amount so to say. Because moorhen chicks are apparently born lazy, they let their parents work ever so hard to get fed. At two weeks old the chicks are very well capable of finding and picking food, but of course it is much easier when dad or mom does it for you and also put it nicely deep down in your beak, so that all you have to do is swallow. Only at 4 weeks old they try and make an effort to forage for themselves. They stayed in the pond and showed no sign of leaving the territory they were born in. Also after the next breeding round, in the same nest, they had no intention of leaving. They even helped feeding the new chicks!

Time goes by and years have passed, and still, every year the Moorhens return. Well... return? Actually they do not leave anymore. But, in spite of the fact that they have been swimming in our pond for some 6 years now, they have not become tame. In winter or early spring, when there is little to no hideaway in or around the water, they flee over the dike when we are getting too close. They do feed together with the ducks now, but only if we keep our distance. And every year one of the offspring stays and a new partner appears…

Left: Foraging in harmony with our ducks.

In spite of the fact that we learned where to look and what are the signs, we have never succeeded in actually seeing one Moorhen on the nest. We did once manage to photograph a fresh nest, which was just ‘finished’. But the only reason that we succeeded was the fact that the reed in the deeper parts of the pond had not grown enough. You can clearly see in the right picture that they make a kind of roof over the nest; they bow and braid the leaves in such a way that the nest cannot be seen from above.

Seeing things like this makes me realise how beautiful and ingenious nature can be! The nest itself - that is where they lay their eggs - is made from dead reed, being leftovers of reed from last year that hasn’t rotted and disappeared during winter. The nest floats on the water and therefore moves with height of the water. Good for them, otherwise the eggs would have drowned at least once a year.

Above and right: Once the Moorhens were misled by the early spring high temperatures and started to build a nest before there was enough reed to attach it to. Left: Instead they used the netting that is over our duck area. Still the nest was fairly open to everybody. Only two young were born, but with hardly any shelter they didn’t survive; within 2 weeks a heron had grabbed them both…

Every year they raise two broods of young, or at least that is what they aim for. The first brood seems to be an exercise; this is always a smaller nest, which contains max 4 young ones. Later in the season there is another nest with 6 to 8 young. I was amazed with this conclusion but think I know why it works like this. In April, when the first round of chicks must be fed, there isn’t so much feed available and the parents are much occupied with feeding the young. At the time of the second nest – in August - it is easier for the parents to find food. No idea whether this is proven. Scientifically I mean. There could be a completely different reason. It is just my own thought on the subject.

Above: In the front you see our Cayuga ducks and behind a half grown moorhen; at that age they are brown instead of black, but already have the white markings. Right: A half-grown Moorhen.

We also enjoy the sight of the fact that the young ones get chased away after they are old enough and are not useful any more. Some of them may stay (perhaps the females?) and the others (the males?) are being chased constantly. And time after time they return after half an hour, but in the end they realize that they have to find another pond and give up. It sometimes takes 2 weeks before we notice that there are fewer moorhens in the pond and the chasing finally had effect.

3 couples live in our pond now. Last year we had 2 couples but only one couple had 2 nests. I wonder what will happen this spring and if our pond will be heavily overpopu- lated with Moor- hens by the end of summer….

All photos in the last five pages were taken by Pauline van Schaik.