Changing its name to ‘Long-tailed Duck’ was perhaps the worse move ever by the AOU, and I think this new name is probably the most boring and lame label they could have decided on. Medium-sized marsh bird with long yellow legs and toes. Second, it leaves us with Common Gallinule and Common Moorhen looking almost identical but with names that imply a more distant relationship. Newly hatched Common Gallinule chicks have spurs on their wings that help them climb into the nest or grab onto vegetation. Adults are charcoal gray with a bright red bill and forehead shield. Common Gallinule. Related posts and pages: The Newfoundland Moorhen was an American based on back color Last winter’s Common Moorhen in Newfoundland, given the likely split of New World and Old...; Distinguishing Eurasian and American Common Merganser The Eurasian subspecies group of Common Merganser, known by the English name Goosander, has occurred...; The ‘Caribbean’ Coot in North America … I am sure you have heard by now that this years update to the AOU’s checklist shows that the Common Moorhen has officially been split into two separate species. Some morphological and behavioural differences confirm this new taxonomy, and this page reflects this recent change. Adult. His fascination with birds and nature began at the age of four or five, and he now works full time in conservation. Common Gallinules build nests to raise their young, but they also build platforms of matted vegetation to display for potential mates. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands in the Americas. var today = new Date(); Eurasian Moorhen/Common Gallinule ( Gallinula chloropus/galeata) eBird version 1.54: Eurasian Moorhen/Common Gallinule ( Gallinula chloropus/galeata) eBird version 1.55: Eurasian Moorhen/Common Gallinule ( Gallinula chloropus/galeata) eBird version 2015: AOU moorhens rails splitting taxonomy and systematics. Despite the lump, the AOU kept the English name “Florida Gallinule” at first, eventually replacing it with “Common Gallinule,” and finally changing this to “Common Moorhen” to conform with Old World usage in the 1982 34th supplement. This beautiful species, formerly known as the ‘Oldsquaw’, is now referred to as the ‘Long-tailed Duck’. However, last year’s Winter Wren and Pacific Wren split, I am more than willing to accept. They started breeding in Pennsylvania for the first time in 1904; now they breed as far north as the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Adult. document.write(today.getFullYear()); First, Common Gallinule was used for the parent species in the past, making Common Gallinule (AOU 1957) and Common Gallinule (AOU 2012) totally different taxonomic concepts (sensu lato and sensu stricto, or Holarctic vs. Nearctic, respectively). Yes, the scientific evidence is pretty solid and I agree they should be their own species (heck, I even get a freebie lifer out of it since I have seen the ‘Eurasian Moorhen’ in South Africa), however can we all handle this name change? Let me know your thoughts on this name change and other name changes you have trouble living (and birding) with! For some reason, even after the lump, the AOU kept the name as Florida Gallinule for quite a few years, but then switched it over to ‘Common Gallinule’, and then finally in 1982, referred to it officially as the ‘Common Moorhen’. Distribution / Range. The Common Moorhen and the Common Gallinule were formerly the same species, but the latter is now a full species named Gallinula galeata. Posts that either feature my digiscoped photos or talk about the art of digiscoping. Here is a link to recordings of this bird’s vocalizations showing just how different the New World species sounds from the Old World species. Adaptable and successful, this bird is common in the marshes of North and South America. It was split from the common moorhen by the American Ornithologists' Union in July 2011. This species was formerly called the Common Moorhen and is closely related to moorhen species in the Old World. Common Gallinule Identification. Drew WeberAugust 9, 2011Bird News, distribution, General News and Info, General Rant, Identification, Listing, Research, Science10 Comments. Here in the U.S., it’s found year-round in the south, including Florida, and spreads throughout the eastern half of the country in the summer breeding season. It squawks and whinnies from thick cover in marshes and ponds from Canada to Chile, peeking in and out of vegetation. Common Moorhen, Gallineta Común, Galinha-d'água, Teichhuhn, Vízityúk, Waterhoen, Gallinella d'acqua, Rörhöna, ... La gallinule vit près des eaux douces ou saumâtres des zones humides où la végétation est abondante et émergente, avec des rives proposant un couvert. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands in the Americas. The toes have no lobes or webbing to help with swimming, but the gallinule is a good swimmer anyway. In the late 1800’s, the AOU referred to this species as the ‘Florida Gallinule’, but then in 1923 lumped it in with the Old World’s ‘Common Moorhen’. This is a common breeding bird in marsh environments and well-vegetated lakes. Listen for a strange clucking and whinnying coming from thick marsh vegetation and start scanning the edges. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests. Perhaps, I just need some more time…..at least the AOU didn’t go with the other suggestion; ‘Laughing Gallinule’ which is just plain dumb. Large feet enable the moorhen to walk across soggy marsh vegetation. The Common Gallinule and its relative, the Common Moorhen, are the most commonly seen members of the Rail family (Rallidae) around much of the world. The gallinule swims buoyantly, bobbing its head; it also walks and runs on open ground near water, and clambers about through reeds and cattails above the water. The Common Gallinule swims like a duck and walks atop floating vegetation like a rail with its long and slender toes. The morphological differences are that the New World species has a larger, truncated frontal shield whereas the Old World species has a smaller, rounder frontal shield. Tags:Common Gallinule, Common Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, © Rails, Gallinules, and Coots(Order: Gruiformes, Family:Rallidae). Nemesis Bird | Website designed by Drew Weber. This species was formerly called the Common Moorhen and is closely related to moorhen species in the Old World. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, ... Nesting / Breeding.