Common Gallinule (Callinula galeata) Michael Sanders Status: State Threatened
© Tom Hodgson
The Common Gallinule, also known as the area in Cheboygan County. Payne (1983) considered this a common summer resident Common Moorhen, Florida Gallinule, and south of the Saginaw Bay area, and especially Black Gallinule, is a chicken-like member of the plentiful in the St. Clair Flats and the Lake Erie rail family (Rallidae). This quiet, skittish, yet marshes. However, this species has declined in graceful relative of the American Coot prefers Michigan in recent years probably due to human permanent marshes with dense, emergent disturbance and habitat degradation (Brewer et vegetation (Kleen et al. 2004). Its secretive al. 2005). Bannor and Kiviat (2002) noted nature and use of dense vegetation make it an increases in Common Gallinule sightings on infrequently observed species. This species has Christmas Bird Counts in the southern United a wide distribution but is not abundant States from 1959-1988, so the decline in anywhere in its range. The breeding range Michigan populations might be a recent extends from Central America north through phenomenon (Brewer et al. 2005). Sanders et much of the eastern U.S. and into southern al. (2007) reported Common Gallinule from Ontario (Higgins 1991). Common Gallinules only seven percent (8/108) of the survey sites winter throughout the southeastern and visited during a four-year wetland bird survey of southwestern states with a very large Michigan’s coastal wetlands. concentration in Florida (Bannor and Kiviat
2002). This species is found on all continents There was little change in the overall breeding except Australia and Antarctica (Keller and distribution of the Common Gallinule since Castrale 1998). MBBA I. Common Gallinules were mostly
reported south of the Tension Zone in the LP Distribution and completely absent from the UP, where Historical literature indicates the Common fewer areas of suitable habitat exist (Sanders et Gallinule as common in Michigan. This species al. 2007). A notable change was the lack of could be found in “suitable habitat throughout reports along Lake Michigan in the SLP. the entire lower peninsula, but more abundant in the southern half” in the late 1800s (Barrows Overall occurrences dropped by about 62% (56 1912). Wood (1951) reported it as a common from 149) despite increased block coverage summer resident, extending north to Grand during MBBA II. A downward trend is also Rapids and Saginaw and up to the Indian River
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Common Gallinule (Callinula galeata) Michael Sanders Status: State Threatened evident in Common Gallinule occurrences by It is evident that Common Gallinules are township; about 6% reported this species in declining in Michigan and the Great Lakes MBBA I while only 2.5% had records during region. This could be explained by habitat MBBA II. Breeding confirmations were down degradation or loss and human disturbance or by 71% and all confirmed breeding was in the simply a retraction by a species at the northern SLP. Coastal strongholds continue at the Lake extent of its range. The Common Gallinule is a Erie marshes, St. Clair Flats, and at areas along threatened species in Michigan and Illinois, and Saginaw Bay. one of special concern in Wisconsin.
Breeding Biology Conservation Needs Common Gallinules return to Michigan from Common Gallinule populations depend on the mid-March to late April (MNFI 2007). protection and proper management of marshland Common Gallinules are more aquatic than true habitat. Fortunately, many large marshes are in rails and prefer deep water marshes with depths public ownership and managed for waterfowl, up to 1m (Keller and Castrale 1998). Floating which also provides good habitat for Common mats of vegetation and muskrat dens are Gallinule. Habitat conditions with a 50:50 ratio prominent features in the breeding territory of open water and emergent vegetation (hemi- (Timmermans 2007). A Common Gallinule marsh) should be encouraged. Management nest is a bulky platform of dead vegetation strategies involving dramatic water level usually within six meters (20 feet) of open water fluctuations during the nesting season may flood in well-concealed spots among cattails nests and/or increase predation (Peterjohn and (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). Egg laying Rice 1991, MNFI 2007). typically occurs in May and June and they will renest if the first nest is destroyed (Bartelt Common Gallinule is a game species in 2006). The precocial chicks begin to feed on Michigan and Indiana, though very few are their own within one week of hatching (Bannor taken each year in either state (Keller and and Kiviat 2002). Fall migration begins in early Castrale 1998, B. Avers pers. comm.). Data September with most birds departing Michigan from the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service by mid-November (MNFI 2007). (USFWS) Hunter Information Program (HIP) reported no harvest during the 2007 and 2008 Abundance & Population Trends hunting seasons (Raftovich et al. 2009). Given Analysis of North American Breeding Bird the limited hunting pressure on Gallinules (B. Survey (BBS) data from 1966-2007 does not Avers, pers. comm.) and restrictive regulations reveal any statistically significant population on take, annual hunting mortality is not a trends for this species throughout North significant source of mortality. America. The data shows double digit downward trends in Michigan and other Great This species is tolerant of urban and agricultural Lake states but the sample sizes are too small to habitats, but pollution and wetland destruction offer any validity (Sauer et al. 2008). BBS constitute potential threats to this bird (Bannor Canadian data indicate a statistically significant and Kiviat 2002). While the USFWS estimates decline during the same time period (Sauer et al. 4-5 million birds are killed annually as a result 2008). Marsh Monitoring Program results from of collisions with communication towers, they 1995 to 2003 showed a significant decline in the appear to have no significant threat to this Great Lakes Basin (Medler 2005). species (Shier et al 2000). Purple loosestrife proliferation is a possible contributor to the species decline in parts of New York (Medler
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Common Gallinule (Callinula galeata) Michael Sanders Status: State Threatened 2008). The preservation of existing marshes, as Kleen, V.M., L. Cordle, and R.A. Montgomery. well as the restoration and construction of new 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. wetlands, will help insure the survival of this Special Publication No. 26. Illinois Natural species in Michigan. History Survey. Champaign, IL. Medler, M.D. 2008. Common Moorhen Literature Cited (Gallinula chloropus). In McGowan, K.J. and K. Corwin (eds.). 2008. The Second Baicich, P.J. and C.J.O. Harrison. 1997. A Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. North American Birds. 2nd edition. Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI). Academic Press. San Diego, CA. 2007. Rare Species Explorer (Web Bannor, B.K. and E. Kiviat. 2002. Common Application). Available online at Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In The
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Common Gallinule (Callinula galeata) Michael Sanders Status: State Threatened Timmermans, S.T.A. 2007. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In Cadman, C.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto. Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Miscellaneous Publications, No. 75. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI.
Suggested Citation
Sanders, M. 2011. Common Moorhen (Callinula chloropus). In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2010- 2011. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed online at:
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