First Moorhen Chicks Appear In Bermuda Ponds
With the arrival of spring, the first moorhen chicks have been spotted on Bermuda’s ponds. A post on the Bermuda Audubon Society’s social media said, “The first Moorhen [Common Gallinule] chicks of the year are already appearing on local ponds. Let’s hope they escape the attention of the Great Blue Herons!”
Photo courtesy of Andrew Dobson:
According to AllAboutBirds, “The most widely distributed member of the rail family, the Common Gallinule inhabits marshes and ponds from Canada to Chile, from northern Europe to southern Africa, and across Asia to the Pacific. Vocal and boldly marked, the species can be quite conspicuous, sometimes using its long toes to walk atop floating vegetation.
“The Common Gallinule has long toes that makes it possible to walk on soft mud and floating vegetation. The toes have no lobes or webbing to help in swimming, but the moorhen is a good swimmer anyway.
“Newly hatched chicks of the Common Gallinule have spurs on their wings that help them climb into the nest or grab emergent vegetation.”
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