Moorhen (Common Moorhen)
Gallinula chloropus
  |
|
Distribution Britain 2,032 (-9.2%) Ireland 714 (-21.0%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 240,000 Ireland 75,000 territories European status: 1,000,000 (32% in Britain and Ireland =1) British population trend: slight decline (-10% CBC, +27% WBS){-26%} How likely are you to record it? 1041 squares (23.2%) Ranked 46 [56] |
These birds can be very obvious and tame but in some areas they may be timid and crake-like. They can use almost any sort of pool, pond, stream or river and are all over the place except the north and west of Scotland and some parts of western Ireland. They are vulnerable to cold winter weather and seem to have lost 50% of their breeding population after the exceptional cold of 1962/63. There is good evidence that they are vulnerable to predation by feral mink. There is a decline registered by the CBC but an increase by the WBS — this may be related to the loss of farm ponds and other water as the decline was most marked on farmland CBC (-18%). The future seems assured.
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead