Common Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus)

The Common Gallinule is a widely spread bird, found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. They are often found with their close relative, the American Coot, but are usually more shy and retiring. They can easily be differentiated from the somewhat similar American Coot by the brilliant red forehead shield and the red bill with yellow tip. Common Gallinule are generally just casual migrants and visitors to South Dakota, but are more common residents in areas just to the east and south of the state. Note the official name of the species has changed multiple times, with the latest change to Common Gallinule occurring in 2011, from the former "Common Moorhen".

Habitat

Prefers freshwater marshes with some open water.

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding on many aquatic plants, fruits and berries of terrestrial plants, earthworms, tadpoles, insects and insect larvae, snails, and occasionally bird eggs.

Behavior

Uses a variety of methods for foraging. Will swim on the water's surface, dabbling at the surface, dipping its head below the water, or sometimes by diving beneath the surface. They also will feed on land, or climb through wetland vegetation in search of food.

Breeding

Generally a non-breeder in South Dakota, although there are scattered records of confirmed breeding. The nest of a Common Gallinule is a platform of wetland vegetation such as reeds and cattails, placed above shallow water in a wetland, or sometimes on the ground near the shoreline. The female usually lays between 6 and 12 eggs, and both parents help to incubate them. When the eggs hatch, both parents help to feed them. The young usually fledge at around 6 or 7 weeks.

Song

Common Gallinule song

Migration

Summers in scattered locations through the eastern third of the U.S., and locally in the southwestern United States. Southwestern populations and those in the deep South may not migrate, while most elsewhere winter near the Atlantic coastline.

Similar Species

American Coot, Purple Gallinule

Status

Population and range lower than historical levels due to wetland loss, but still locally common throughout its range. The IUCN lists the Common Gallinule as a species of "Least Concern".

Common Gallinule