Dusky Moorhen

Papua Moorhen ( Gallinula tenebrosa )

The Papua Moorhen ( Gallinula tenebrosa ) is a species of bird in the family of Rails.

Features

Papua moorhens are dark gray to black in color with deep brown back. The tail is white on the sides below. The beak and the face plate overlying are bright red, the tip of the beak is yellow. The red shield has signal function in intraspecific conflict. The legs have about the intertarsal on a scarlet ribbon. From the Common Moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus ) the type is distinguished by the lack of white stripes on the flanks. In addition, the Nominatunterart with 36 centimeters in length is slightly larger, while the subspecies Gallinula tenebrosa neumanni from northern New Guinea reached a similar size. Females are slightly smaller than males. Juveniles are colored less vigorous and sometimes brownish.

Occurrence

The Papua Moorhen comes in Australasia south of the Wallace Line to Tasmania before. In Australia it is found in all countries, but especially along the east coast. On Flores, Sumba and to the south of Borneo, the species occurs occasionally as Irrgast.

Way of life

The preferred habitat of Papua Moorhen are freshwater lakes, ponds and vegetated marshland. The species is found mainly in the lowlands, on Sulawesi but also in altitudes up to 1000 meters. The animals are active during the day and take both on land and in the water to food, ranging from grass, seeds and fruits aquatic plants, molluscs and insects extends to bird droppings and carcasses. In Australia, the animals in May and July together to form large flocks and from July to breed territorial groups of two to seven, usually four animals, which come on a female one to three males. Older animals remain together as a group longer than younger and achieve a higher breeding success.

System

Whether the Papua Moorhen and Common Moorhen actually represent separate species, is doubted by some authors. This suggests that distinctive features such as the color of the skin is partially dependent on age and that occasional white streaks also occur in Papua Moorhen on the flanks.