Gallinula angulata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The lesser moorhen (Paragallinula angulata) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is sometimes placed into the genus Gallinula. It is the only member of the genus Paragallinula. The lesser moorhen was formerly placed in the genus Gallinula, but a 2015 molecular genetic study demonstrated that Gallinula was composed of four distinct lineages. The genus was split into four genera: Gallinula (sensu stricto), Paragallinula, Porphyriops, and Tribonyx.
P. angulata is the only known species of Paragallinula which makes Paragallinula a monotypic genus. The name Paragallinula comes from the Greek para 'beside' and the genus Gallinula. It is named for its similarity with the members of Gallinula, but it also indicates its unique genetic lineage.
The lesser moorhen is widely spread across Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding Southern Africa and Madagascar). It was once recorded in the Western Palearctic as a rare vagrant. This species has also been sighted in Brazil, Egypt, Morocco, and Oman.
Lesser moorhen - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 10 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 12 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 13 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 14 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Moorhen sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 308th most-seen of the 369 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Moorhen in Lake Nakuru National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser 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.
8th of 16
Of the 16 parks where we can rate Lesser Moorhen sightings, Lake Nakuru National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 10%), Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 10%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Moorhen is recorded against all the birds logged in Lake Nakuru National Park (12 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.
