Moorhen
| Moorhens Temporal range: Late Oligocene to recent |
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|---|---|
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| Dusky moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: |
Gallinula Brisson, 1760 |
| Species | |
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Gallinula angulata |
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| Synonyms | |
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Edithornis |
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Gallinula angulata
Gallinula chloropus
Gallinula galeata (but see text)
Gallinula comeri
Gallinula pacifica (but see text)
Gallinula silvestris (but see text)
Gallinula tenebrosa
Porphyriops melanops
Tribonyx mortierii
Tribonyx ventralis
and see text
Edithornis
Pareudiastes
Moorhens — sometimes called marsh hens — are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus Gallinula, Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots, and because of their apparently nervous behavior (frequently twitching tail, neck and grinding their backs) are sometimes called "skitty coots". They are often referred to as (black) gallinules. Recently, one of the species of Gallinula was found to have enough differences to form a new genus Paragallinula with the only species being the Lesser moorhen (Paragallinula angulata).
Two species from the Australian region, sometimes separated in Tribonyx, are called "nativehens". The nativehens differ visually by shorter, thicker and stubbier toes and bills, and longer tails that lack the white signal pattern of typical moorhens.
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Wikipedia