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371:. The New Guinea birds are smaller, at 25–32 centimetres (9.8–12.6 in) in length, than the Australian race 34–38 centimetres (13–15 in). Adult males generally weigh on average around 570 grams and adult females 493 grams. The adult dusky moorhen is mainly dark grey-black, with a browner tinge to the upper parts. It has a red
559:
519:
Dusky moorhens are diurnal, and roost at nighttime alone, in breeding groups, or in non-breeding flocks. They roost on platforms constructed in reeds set above the water, on branches over the water, and more rarely on the ground in the reeds. During the day they rest at these places, and may also sit
418:
noise before and during courtship. Adults may make a quiet hissing noise when their eggs are disturbed. Chicks under the age of three months make a repeated shrill piping noise when begging, when an adult approaches with food, and when they are separated from adults. Adults also make short clicking
491:
The birds do not often migrate long distances, and may remain in the same location for eight years or more. They may move to different locations within their range when resources become scarce. Young birds leave their place of birth in autumn and spring, and may be found in locations not normally
390:
The dusky moorhen feeds both on land and in water. Its diet consists of seeds, the tips of shrubs and grasses, algae, fruits, molluscs, and other invertebrates. It will also consume carrion, bread and droppings from birds including gulls and ducks. The chicks are fed mostly on annelid worms and
487:
and often in dams and river banks. They require open water, usually with some cover such as grass, reeds, and other vegetation. In south-east
Queensland, they are more likely to be found in areas with taller vegetation, more attached aquatic vegetation, and a larger number of purple swamphens,
500:
Breeding season is from August to
January in the south of Australia, with generally one brood, and January to June in the north, often brooding twice. This species builds a bulky nest of reeds or grasses at the water's edge or a few centimetres above the water, often at the base of a
511:
that are covered with red-brown dots and splotches. Tapered oval in shape, they measure 53 mm long by 36 mm wide each and have more prominent markings at the larger end. It is territorial when breeding, but otherwise gregarious. The dusky moorhen may nest alongside the
411:. This call is taken up by birds in surrounding territories and can be heard from over two kilometres away. The birds also make a series of short, sharp squawks and squeaks as alarm calls. Swimming and preening birds may make a series of short, stacatto, widely spaced noises.
564:
562:
488:
indicating that the availability of food and other resources affects their numbers and distribution in wetlands. They usually live in low-lying areas, although a pair have been found as high up as 1,580 metres in New Guinea, likely having been separated from their flock.
563:
561:
482:
The dusky moorhen is found in wetland habitats, with a preference for freshwater marshes and swamps, and are rarely found far from these areas except when foraging in nearby vegetation. They are also found in urban parks such as
382:
During autumn and winter, the colour of the frontal shield grows duller in females and young males. During the warmer months, in the breeding season, the shield grows brighter again in both sexes.
687:
560:
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699:
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The moorhens frequently flick their conspicuous white and black tail. This may be a signal of alertness or of social status, depending on the context.
1116:"Effects of habitat characteristics and climate on the distribution and colouration of Dusky Moorhens (Gallinula tenebrosa) in south-east Queensland"
1383:
1422:
698:. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Archived from
1535:
312:
described the dusky moorhen in 1846 from a skin collected along the Murray River in South
Australia. Its species name is derived from the
447:. Some vagrant, non-breeding birds may be found in New Zealand as well. In Australia, they are found all across the eastern states of
1357:
943:
881:
476:
1396:
1468:
1401:
379:, and has orange-yellow rather than yellow legs. The Australian subspecies is larger and pager than both other subspecies.
612:
484:
293:
due to similar appearance and overlapping distributions. They often live alongside birds in the same genus, such as the
1098:
1178:
953:
891:
739:
1560:
1427:
907:
Garnett, S. T. (1978). "The
Behaviour Patterns of the Dusky Moorhen, Gallinula Tenebrosa Gould (Aves: Rallidae)".
818:
391:
molluscs, with plant matter gradually being given in increasing proportions by the parents as the young mature.
471:
and South
Australia, but are uncommon. Included in their natural distribution range are wildlife parks such as
1234:
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472:
1555:
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1313:
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1256:
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30:
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Putland, David A.; Krebs, Elizabeth A.; Jones, Darryl N.; Goldizen, Anne W.; Shirley, Adam M. (2003).
661:
82:
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1274:
520:
on floating vegetation, rocks, logs, and on the banks. In hot weather they may sit high up in trees.
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noises when separated from chicks, and the young give a series of descending whistles in response.
320:
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and yellow-tipped red bill like its
Eurasian relative, but lacks the white flank line shown by
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8:
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from southeastern Borneo, the Sunda
Islands, Timor and western New Guinea, subspecies
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819:"Scanning and Tail-flicking in the Australian Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)"
1455:
513:
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368:
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Common names include dusky moorhen, black gallinule, black moorhen and waterhen.
334:
286:
221:
1219:
376:
372:
298:
1529:
1409:
1139:
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DAVID A. RYAN; KYLIE M. BAWDEN; KATHRYN T. BERMINGHAM; MARK A. ELGAR (1996).
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from northern New Guinea, and the nominate subspecies from
Australia.
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The dusky moorhen is a medium-sized bird, slightly smaller than the
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251:
114:
883:
Rails: A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World
732:
Rails: A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the World
1473:
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262:
154:
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278:
104:
1344:
428:
313:
266:
763:
Life in the
Suburbs: Identifying Species in the Bush Capital
630:
247:
124:
1091:
Regional Field Guide to Birds: South-east Coast and Ranges
686:
Australian
Biological Resources Study (9 September 2014).
1113:
407:, which may be repeated or run together, sounding like
636:
459:
as far north as Cooktown, as well as the eastern part
337:
described two subspecies that have been synonymized—
781:
779:
942:Pratt, Thane K.; Beehler, Bruce M. (2014-10-26).
662:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692880A93372762.en
1527:
776:
414:Both sexes make a soft mewing noise, or a soft
753:
751:
1024:"Gallinula (Gallinula) tenebrosa Gould, 1846"
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1088:
941:
348:Three subspecies are recognised: subspecies
748:
422:
56:
29:
1173:. Kenmore Hills, Qld: self. p. 209.
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690:Gallinula (Gallinula) tenebrosa tenebrosa
660:
725:
723:
721:
719:
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507:and lays a clutch of 5–11 matte whitish
906:
1528:
1171:Australian Birds: Their Nests and Eggs
1089:Pizzey, Graham; Knight, Frank (2013).
879:
729:
1195:
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1068:"Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)"
1046:"Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)"
1004:. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
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1448:00280dea-953b-4f24-929d-3a5c002ce54f
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840:"Dusky Moorhen | BIRDS in BACKYARDS"
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1536:IUCN Red List least concern species
975:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
945:Birds of New Guinea: Second Edition
648:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
485:Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
13:
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14:
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285:. It is often confused with the
219:Gallinula tenebrosa magnirostris
81:
1262:Gallinula_(Gallinula)_tenebrosa
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1038:
1016:
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637:BirdLife International (2016).
467:. It is also found in parts of
399:The territorial call is a loud
227:Gallinula tenebrosa subfrontata
948:. Princeton University Press.
900:
832:
734:. A&C Black. p. 504.
362:
1:
1093:. HarperCollins. p. 73.
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463:and the south-western tip of
39:Gallinula tenebrosa tenebrosa
880:Taylor, Barry (2010-08-30).
495:
473:Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
7:
1026:. Atlas of Living Australia
696:Australian Faunal Directory
492:frequented by adult birds.
341:from Western Australia and
327:in 1856, but this is now a
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78:Scientific classification
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844:www.birdsinbackyards.net
655:: e.T22692880A93372762.
477:Brisbane Botanic Gardens
423:Distribution and habitat
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321:Charles Lucien Bonaparte
257:and is one of the eight
1561:Birds described in 1846
385:
730:Taylor, Barry (2010).
606:Beak and tongue detail
345:from New South Wales.
1495:Paleobiology Database
793:. BirdLife Australia
702:on 12 September 2014
594:Head and cere detail
325:Gallinula haematopus
265:genus. It occurs in
211:Gallinula haematopus
1513:Gallinula-tenebrosa
1249:Gallinula_tenebrosa
1235:Gallinula tenebrosa
1205:Gallinula tenebrosa
641:Gallinula tenebrosa
295:Tasmanian nativehen
243:Gallinula tenebrosa
187:Gallinula tenebrosa
48:Conservation status
1556:Birds of Melanesia
1546:Birds of Australia
1296:BirdLife-Australia
791:Birds in Backyards
570:Adults with chicks
41:, New South Wales
1551:Birds of Wallacea
1523:
1522:
1482:Open Tree of Life
1197:Taxon identifiers
1167:Beruldsen, Gordon
921:10.1071/wr9780363
909:Wildlife Research
886:. A&C Black.
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465:Western Australia
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169:G. tenebrosa
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1048:. OzAnimals.com
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1002:"Dusky Moorhen"
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787:"Dusky Moorhen"
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514:purple swamphen
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453:New South Wales
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1126:(1): 81–86.
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1072:. Retrieved
1062:
1050:. Retrieved
1040:
1028:. Retrieved
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1008:11 September
1006:. Retrieved
996:
984:. Retrieved
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847:. Retrieved
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795:. Retrieved
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768:11 September
766:. Retrieved
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706:12 September
704:. Retrieved
700:the original
695:
692:Gould, 1846"
689:
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1371:iNaturalist
1229:Wikispecies
668:13 November
363:Description
343:subfrontata
330:nomen nudum
1530:Categories
1508:Xeno-canto
1074:20 January
1052:20 January
1030:20 January
849:2019-08-16
797:20 January
624:References
457:Queensland
437:New Guinea
323:described
310:John Gould
275:New Guinea
135:Gruiformes
1541:Gallinula
1140:1448-5540
986:16 August
929:1448-5494
688:"Species
504:Melaleuca
496:Behaviour
445:Indonesia
433:Australia
409:kurruk-uk
354:neumannii
317:tenebrosa
283:Indonesia
271:Australia
214:Bonaparte
163:Species:
156:Gallinula
101:Kingdom:
95:Eukaryota
1415:22692880
1389:10193180
1288:22692880
1283:BirdLife
1220:Q1078223
1214:Wikidata
1169:(2003).
1148:85009069
618:In water
582:Juvenile
475:and the
469:Tasmania
449:Victoria
350:frontata
319:"dark".
305:Taxonomy
297:and the
289:and the
203:Synonyms
145:Rallidae
141:Family:
115:Chordata
111:Phylum:
105:Animalia
91:Domain:
68:IUCN 3.1
1487:1012285
1474:1515895
1363:5228220
1350:dusmoo1
1324:dusmoo1
1270:Avibase
826:The Auk
552:Nesting
527:Gallery
263:moorhen
246:) is a
222:Mathews
151:Genus:
131:Order:
121:Class:
66: (
1500:371336
1445:NZOR:
1435:NZBO:
1428:471249
1402:176288
1314:113471
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952:
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540:Mating
441:Borneo
279:Borneo
259:extant
255:family
224:, 1912
216:, 1856
196:, 1846
1461:72853
1384:IRMNG
1345:eBird
1337:3F6W5
1321:BOW:
1144:S2CID
822:(PDF)
429:India
395:Voice
314:Latin
267:India
194:Gould
1469:OBIS
1423:NCBI
1410:IUCN
1397:ITIS
1358:GBIF
1309:BOLD
1175:ISBN
1136:ISSN
1095:ISBN
1076:2018
1054:2018
1032:2018
1010:2014
988:2019
980:2016
950:ISBN
925:ISSN
888:ISBN
799:2018
770:2014
736:ISBN
708:2014
670:2021
653:2016
509:eggs
455:and
443:and
416:kook
405:krik
401:kurk
386:Diet
281:and
252:rail
248:bird
236:The
125:Aves
1376:357
1332:CoL
1257:AFD
1244:ADW
1128:doi
1124:103
1120:Emu
917:doi
657:doi
403:or
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