Moorhen chick Gallinula chloropus

Common Moorhen chick

The bird is usually referred to as a Moorhen, whether male, female or young. The words Moorcock and Moorchick are not used.

The chick has a blue and red head, long (for its size) black legs and a red beak with yellow tip similar to the adult (and unlike the juvenile).

Mother Moorhen with chick

Maureen gave the thumbs down to her new friend - "bald as a coot".

Chicks in nest (Photo by Lawrence Bard)

Moorhen on nest

The nest is usually built in undergrowth on land (see above left) beside water, not in water like Coots' nests (this is probably an old Coots' nest).

More of parent and chick

More Moorhen chicks

First stage of Moorhen juvenile with grey plumage, grey legs and still with yellow-tipped beak.

The older juvenile Moorhen (above) looks less like the adult than the chick does, with mid-brown plumage and a brown beak; however, it has the yellow legs and white under-tail feathers of the adult.

Face shield developing