Common Moorhen

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Moorhen sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 220th most-seen of the 297 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

January. In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February to December, the lowest months. That is one of Celestún Biosphere Reserve's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 160 mm in June.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Common Moorhen?

Between 10 am and 1 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Moorhen sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Celestún Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Common Moorhen?

89th of 108. Of the 108 parks where we can rate Common Moorhen sightings, Celestún Biosphere Reserve ranks 89th at under 5%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 70%), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 60%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Common Moorhen live in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Same family: Rallidae. The closest relatives of the Common Moorhen that you can see in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are American Coot (about 10%) and Rufous-necked Wood-Rail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Common Moorhen sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Common Moorhen is recorded against all the birds logged in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Gallinula chloropus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
GenusGallinula (Typical Moorhens)
SpeciesGallinula chloropus (Common Moorhen)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Celestún Biosphere Reserve

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

19 Verified sightings at Celestún Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026

30,866 In all 108 parks

January Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge City Pond Birds EuropeMedium

About the Common Moorhen

The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the waterhen, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World, across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests; generally it is one of the most common Old World rail species, together with the Eurasian coot in some regions.

The common moorhen was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it in the genus Fulica and coined the binomial name Fulica chloropus. The common moorhen is now one of five extant species placed in the genus Gallinula that was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The genus name is from Latin gallinula meaning "little hen" or "little chicken". The specific epithet chloropus combines the Ancient Greek khlōros χλωρός meaning "green" and pous (πούς) meaning "foot".

The closely related common gallinule G. galeata of the New World, and the tristan moorhen G. nesiotis and gough moorhen G. comeri of the Tristan... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:04

Spain · 2026

Alarm call1:05

Taiwan · 2026

Nocturnal flight call0:07

Sweden · 2026

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 54 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	~70%
2	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
3	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~50%
4	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
5	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	~50%
6	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~40%
7	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~40%
8	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~30%
9	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
10	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~30%
11	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
12	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
13	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
14	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
15	Mantadia National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~20%
16	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
17	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
18	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
19	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
20	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
21	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
22	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
23	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
24	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
25	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
26	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~20%
27	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
28	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~10%
29	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
30	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
31	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
32	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
33	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
34	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
35	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
36	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
37	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
38	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
39	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~10%
40	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
41	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
42	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
43	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
44	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
45	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
46	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
47	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
48	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
49	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
50	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
51	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
52	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
53	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
54	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
55	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
56	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
57	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
58	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
59	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~10%
60	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
61	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
62	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
63	Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	<5%
64	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
65	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	<5%
66	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
67	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
68	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
69	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	<5%
70	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
71	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
72	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
73	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
74	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
75	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
76	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
77	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
78	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
79	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
80	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
81	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
82	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
83	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
84	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
85	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
86	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
87	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
88	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
89	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
90	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
91	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
92	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
93	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
94	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
95	Lauca National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	<5%
96	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
97	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
98	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
99	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
100	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
101	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
102	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
103	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
104	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
105	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
106	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
107	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
108	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Ningbo	🇨🇳 China	~70%
2	Amsterdam	🇳🇱 Netherlands	~70%
3	Riyadh	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	~70%
4	Suzhou	🇨🇳 China	~70%
5	Srinagar	🇮🇳 India	~70%
6	Birmingham	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~70%
7	Antalya	🇹🇷 Turkey	~70%
8	Liverpool	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~70%
9	London	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~60%
10	Antananarivo	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~60%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean Kingdom	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
2	Chimelong Spaceship	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
3	Moscow Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
4	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
5	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
6	Leipzig Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
7	Dublin Zoo	🇮🇪 Ireland	In captivity
8	Zürich Zoo	🇨🇭 Switzerland	In captivity
9	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
10	Civic Aquarium of Milan	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
11	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Planète Sauvage	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
13	Chester Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
14	Parque y Zoológico Nacional Arquitecto Manuel Valverde Podestá	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	In captivity
15	Zoo and Botanical Garden of Branféré	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
16	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Parco Natura Viva	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
18	Hellabrunn Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
19	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
20	Zoologischer Garten Leipzig	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
21	Gatorland	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Zoo Opole	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
23	Karlsruhe Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
24	Schönbrunn Zoo	🇦🇹 Austria	In captivity
25	Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden	🇭🇺 Hungary	In captivity
26	London Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
27	Green World Ecological Farm	🇹🇼 Taiwan	In captivity
28	Valencia Bioparc	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
29	Zoo Arche Noah Grömitz	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
30	Aviario Nacional de Colombia	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
31	Monkeyland	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
32	Bioparque Wakatá	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
33	Elephant Sanctuary, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
34	L'Oceanogràfic	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
35	Touroparc Zoo	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
36	Jardin zoologique de la ville de Lyon	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
37	Parque Zoobotânico de Joinville	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
38	Santillana Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
39	Sarasota Jungle Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
40	World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
41	Zoo Koki (Parque zoológico y botánico)	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
42	Birds of Eden	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
43	Ponderosa Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
44	Taconera	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
45	Selwo Marina	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
46	Florida Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Aquarium Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
49	Rákosův pavilon	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
50	Velemlokárium	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve

Fulica americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Aramides axillaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Aramides albiventris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Rallus crepitans

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Porzana carolina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laterallus ruber

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aramus guarauna

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Fregata magnificens

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Phoenicopterus ruber

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Leucophaeus atricilla

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Mimus gilvus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Phalacrocorax auritus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Moorhen sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 220th most-seen of the 297 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

January

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February to December, the lowest months. That is one of Celestún Biosphere Reserve's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 160 mm in June.

What time of day is best to see a Common Moorhen?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Moorhen sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Celestún Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Common Moorhen?

89th of 108

Of the 108 parks where we can rate Common Moorhen sightings, Celestún Biosphere Reserve ranks 89th at under 5%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 70%), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 60%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Common Moorhen live in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Same family: Rallidae

The closest relatives of the Common Moorhen that you can see in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are American Coot (about 10%) and Rufous-necked Wood-Rail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Moorhen sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Moorhen is recorded against all the birds logged in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Celestún Biosphere Reserve

Common Moorhen

About the Common Moorhen

Sounds

Recent sightings of Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve

American Coot

Rufous-necked Wood-Rail

Russet-naped Wood-Rail

Clapper Rail

Sora

Ruddy Crake

Limpkin

Magnificent Frigatebird

American Flamingo

Laughing Gull

Tropical Mockingbird

Double-crested Cormorant

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

When is the best time to see a Common Moorhen in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

What time of day is best to see a Common Moorhen?

Is Celestún Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Common Moorhen?

Which relatives of the Common Moorhen live in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Where does the Common Moorhen sighting chance come from?