Fly-ins: Moorhen, Swamphen, or Coots are?
By Ross Macfarlane
There are 3 similar species of birds commonly seen on and near waterways and wetlands in Melbourne, all members of the Rail family. They are the Dusky Moorhen, the Australasian Swamphen, and the Eurasian Coot. But how do you tell them apart?
In short, the best distinguishing feature is their bills – white for coots, red for swamphens, and red with a yellow tip for the moorhens. They are often, though not always, seen in different places – coots on the water, swamphens at the water’s edge, and moorhens on the grass.
Eurasian Coot (Fulica Atra)
The Eurasian coot is the easiest to identify, because it is uniformly black all over, with a white bill and “shield”, different to the red ones of the swamphen and moorhen. (Coot chicks do have red beaks though!)Coots are commonly seen swimming on the water, sometimes in small flocks, but can also be seen at the water’s edge or on the grass.
Figure 1. Eurasian coot. Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp, sharpphotography.co.uk, via Wikipedia.
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio Melanotus)
Swamphens are the largest of the three common rail species, and the most striking, with their vivid red bill and shield, and their beautiful purple, blue and black plumage. They are easily distinguished from the coots, but harder to tell apart from the moorhens, which are less brightly coloured, and have a yellow tip to their bill. Swamphens also have a large white patch under their tail, while moorhens have 2 small white patches.Swamphens are often seen at or near the water’s edge, or in amongst the reeds, but may also be seen on the grass or in the water.
Figure 2. Australasian swamphen. Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp, sharpphotography.co.uk, via Wikipedia.
Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula Tenebrosa)
Dusky moorhens look similar to Australasian swamphens, but are smaller, and mostly dull grey-black. Both have a red bill and shield, but the moorhen’s is more orangey, and has a yellow tip, which is the main distinguishing feature. They also have 2 white patches under their tails, whereas the swamphen has 1 large patch.Moorhens can be seen on the water, or at the water’s edge, but are often on the grass not far from the water.
Figure 3. Dusky moorhen. Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp, sharpphotography.co.uk, via Wikipedia.
Something else?
There are other species of crakes and rails that are more secretive and rarely seen. These include Black-Tailed Native Hens, Buff-banded Rails, Australasian Spotted Crakes, Spotless Crakes, and others. Others which you may see around Skeleton Creek include ducks and teals, grebes, herons and egrets, gulls, and many other waterbirds and other birds that aren’t.
In future posts, we will discuss some more of the common species. If you see a bird and it’s “None of the above”, try to pick out as many distinguishing features as you can, so you can look them up in a bird guide or online (or ask an expert!) Take note of the colour of their plumage, their size, their calls, and how they fly or swim.