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Common Moorhen


Common Moorhen
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1427 W: 128 N: 5252] (23221)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-01
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM, ISO 100, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/200 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-29 10:05
Viewed: 680
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Again from the archives a young Common Moorhen (Gallinula Chloropus 33 cm) on a pond by a beautiful day last September.

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
The most widely distributed member of the rail family, the Common Moorhen inhabits marshes and ponds from Canada to Chile, from northern Europe to southern Africa, and across Asia to the Pacific. Vocal and boldly marked, the species can be quite conspicuous, sometimes using its long toes to walk atop floating vegetation.
Cool Facts:
The Common Moorhen has long toes that makes it possible to walk on soft mud and floating vegetation. The toes have no lobes or webbing to help in swimming, but the moorhen is a good swimmer anyway.
The Common Moorhen sometimes lifts its feet out of the water in front of the body while swimming, perhaps to pass over vegetation.
Newly hatched chicks of the Common Moorhen have spurs on their wings that help them climb into the nest or grab emergent vegetation.
Twelve subspecies of Common Gallinule are recognized from around the world, most differing only in size or brightness of plumage. One subspecies is found only in the Hawaiian Islands and has been known as the Hawaiian Gallinule.
Description
Size: 32-35 cm (13-14 in)
Wingspan: 54-62 cm (21-24 in)
Weight: 310-456 g (10.94-16.1 ounces)
Dark, with white flank stripe.
Red bill and forehead.
Swims on surface of water like a duck.
Bill triangular like a chicken's, not flat like a duck's.
White stripe on sides of undertail.
Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Mostly blackish body, brown wings, and white flank stripe. Undertail white with a black line in middle. Forehead shield and bill bright red; bill with yellow tip. Legs olive-yellow. Ring of scarlet just below thigh feathers.
Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: Chin, throat, and underparts paler than on breeding adult. Bill and forehead shield dusky red.
Sex Differences
Sexes similar, male slightly larger.
Immature
Juvenile brownish-gray with drab maroon bill and no frontal shield.
Similar Species
Adult Purple Gallinule has blue body plumage, green wings, and a blue frontal shield, and lacks white flank stripe. Juvenile Purple Gallinule has tawny neck and head, mostly white underparts, and greenish wings. Purple Gallinule lacks black line down the middle of the undertail coverts.
American Coot is stockier, has white bill, unmarked flanks, and mostly dark undertail coverts.
Sound
A highly varied repertoire of calls, including clucks, whinnies, cackles, squawks, and yelps.
Habitat
Freshwater or brackish marshes with tall emergent vegetation, ponds, canals, and rice fields.
Food
Seeds of grasses and sedges, and some snails.
Behavior
Foraging
Picks food from water surface or from emergent plants while walking or swimming. Dips head, dabbles, and occasionally dives. Flips floating leaves to take snails clinging to undersides.
Reproduction
Conservation Status
Listed as threatened or as a species of special concern in several Midwestern and Northeastern states because of loss of wetland habitat, predation by introduced mammals, and other factors.
Other Names
Gallinule poule-d'eau, Poule d'eau (French)
Pollo de agua, Gallareta frentirroja, Pollona negra (Spanish)
Common Gallinule, Florida Gallinule (English)
mariki, siggi, gerbilratz, bobair, nglen, jaycee, pekkavalo1, eqshannon, mayuresh, CeltickRanger, vanderschelden, goldyrs has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To CeltickRanger: Merci Asbed!EOSF1 1 07-01 07:08
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • mariki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1064 W: 64 N: 2234] (9195)
  • [2008-06-29 10:10]

Bonsoir Mario,

Très belle composition avec un bon encadrement. Jolie pose de la gallinule sur sa branche. Excellente netteté. Superbe lumière et couleurs.
Bonne soirée,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 477 W: 11 N: 1348] (4706)
  • [2008-06-29 10:32]

Hello Mario,
wonderful shot and nice macro!I like it.
Well done.
Greetings.
Siegfried

Hi Mario, great to see a waterbird!!.. the colours are well reflected in the water and the water effect is excellent. good composition and a fine upload to see... regards h

  • Great 
  • bobair Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 384 W: 84 N: 1259] (4614)
  • [2008-06-29 10:41]

Hi Mario,
this is a lovely shot of the moorhen and all is basically fine with this photo,however I think that maybe you could of dropped your exposure down by a 1/3ev and got a bit better exposure on the lighter colours.I like this one very much and thank you for sharing with us.Excellent included note,Sir. Bob

Hi Mario,

this is excellent shot- perfect composition, beautifull water surface, great bird details. Little strange is that blue colour in the wooden branch and legs of a bird- probably the light was too strong..
cheers
adrian

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5960] (22528)
  • [2008-06-29 11:33]

Hi mario. A good close up of this Moorhen. I like the pose with the head turned so we can see the side of the face. good detail and colours in the feathers. well done TFS. interesting notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Amadeo Gold Star Critiquer [C: 211 W: 0 N: 755] (3323)
  • [2008-06-29 11:34]

Hola Mario, una excelente imagen, con bonita composición, nitida y buen detalle, buenos tonos de color y buena luz. Un saludo

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1911 W: 8 N: 4976] (16095)
  • [2008-06-29 12:26]

Hi Mario,

I'm sure you have lots to choose from in your archives. Unusual to see a water bird from you but this Moorhen is lovely. I love the pose and the reflections. Fine details of the entire bird with beautiful colors and shadings. The plummage is superb.

Jane

Hi Mario,

Excellent capture of this Moorhen with great pose and composition, sharp details, good BG and colours.

TFS

Pekka

A couple things strike me on this one Mario...the partial reflection is good because it does not take over the image...and the background is as smooth as silk...Not sure how you did this on digital, as it looks almost film....very nice and among your tops!
Bob

  • Great 
  • vral Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 60 W: 1 N: 191] (871)
  • [2008-06-30 0:08]

Hello Mario,
wonderful closeup of this Moorhen. Water color in the BG is too good. Sharp details and well composed shot.

TFS

vral

Bonjour Mario,
Très réussi cette galinule, détails dans le plumage, couleurs, POV et cadrage tout y est, j'aime bien le reflet dans l'eau qui apporte un vrai plus
amicalement
Jean-Michel

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1107 W: 6 N: 3063] (11326)
  • [2008-06-30 4:02]

Salut Mario,une qualite' vraiment exceptionelle des details et des couleurs et une pose tres tres artistique,j'aime beaucoup la reflections et la couleur de l'eau qui fait la difference,mes plus gros compliments et bonne semaine,LUCIANO

Hello Mario,
This is superb and clear shot of moorhen having wonderful details,you have captured a very nice pose with excellent sharpness and lighting,lovely composition.
TFS.

Hello Mario,
Beautiful photo of this young Moorhen. Good sharpness, colours and an excellent composition. Also the green coloured water is very beautiful.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Mario,
A wonderful photo with a very beautiful pose. The way you controlled the light in this photo is very impressive. As always, you are the master in the details.
TFS,
Niek

Hi Mario,

I've been out of town for much of the past three months but am home for the summer. It's nice to see that you are still taking and posting great bird shots. I actually got a couple of bird shots myself recently with the 100-400.

I love the sharp bird against that wonderful textured water.

YFS
Evelynn : )

salut Mario

belle image du Poule d'eau avec un excellent POV, DOF et cadrage vertical,
j'aimes l'arrière-plan qui fait penser à une peinture,
juste une chose Mario, tu es l'expert en photographie d'oiseau et je n'ai
rien à t'apprendre, moi j'aurais zoomé moins pour avoir toute
la réflexion du sujet à l'eau, TFS

Asbed

Excellent one, Mario.
Highlighting the lighting...I mean the light is great here.
Well done
TFS
Annick

The bird looks like it's sad!That's moving away from something that means a lot toit!
A lovely shot, Mario!
Very well done!
Goldy

Bonjour Mario,

Une belle image rapprochée de cette Gallinule poule-d'eau sur la grosse branche. Les détails et les couleurs de l'oiseau sont clairs et précis. Le sujet est bien cadré. Les reflets dans l'eau sont des atouts à la composition. Les couleurs sont rehaussée par la bonne luminosité. Bonne journée.

Pierre

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