This bird walks on water like it owns the place.
The Common Moorhen is a bird of ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers, where it glides across the surface as if the water were solid ground. With glossy black plumage, a vivid red shield above its yellow-tipped bill, and long greenish legs, it’s both elegant and a little fierce.
You’ll often spot it flicking its white undertail feathers as it swims or picking its way delicately over floating vegetation. Despite its graceful appearance, the moorhen can be surprisingly scrappy, chasing rivals or defending its territory with sharp calls and quick lunges.
Found across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, it’s a true citizen of the world. It builds floating nests hidden among reeds, where both parents share the work of raising the chicks — fuzzy black youngsters that can swim almost as soon as they hatch.
The Common Moorhen proves that wetlands aren’t just quiet backwaters — they’re lively stages where even a small bird can rule the rippling surface like royalty.