moorhen
Gallinula chloropus

Common bird of any freshwater habitat with distinctive red and yellow bill

Habitat: freshwater, fields and hedges

Widespread and common resident

Dumpy, black below, brown upperparts, yellow legs, red and yellow bill

Most often seen walking with chicken-like jerky movements of the head; flies laboriously with trailing legs

Eats molluscs, plants, seeds and aquatic insects

Nest is a cup near ground

2-3 Broods March – August ; 5-11 eggs buff spotted