Gallinula chloropus -- (Linnaeus, 1758)ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- GRUIFORMES -- RALLIDAECommon names: Common Moorhen;

European Red List AssessmentEuropean Red List Status

LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1)

Assessment InformationYear published: 2015Date assessed: 2015-03-31Assessor(s): BirdLife InternationalReviewer(s): Symes, A.Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L.Assessment RationaleEuropean regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27.

OccurrenceCountries/Territories of OccurrenceNative:Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United KingdomVagrant:Faroe Islands (to DK); Greenland (to DK); Iceland; Svalbard and Jan Mayen (to NO); Gibraltar (to UK)

PopulationThe European population is estimated at 909,000-1,440,000 pairs, which equates to 1,820,000-2,870,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 744,000-1,120,000 pairs, which equates to 1,490,000-2,240,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

TrendIn Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be stable. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

Habitats and EcologyThe species inhabits freshwater wetlands, both still and moving, requiring easy access to open water (Taylor et al. 2014) and showing a preference for waters sheltered by woodland, bushes or tall emergent vegetation. Suitable habitats include slow-flowing rivers, streams, canals, ditches, lakes, reservoirs, sites with small open water surfaces such as pools and ponds only a few metres across, swamps, marshes, disused gravel pits, rice-fields (Taylor and van Perlo 1998, Taylor et al. 2014), seasonally flooded sites (Taylor et al. 2014), sewage ponds, oxbow lakes and occasionally seashores (Azerbaijan) (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). In Europe the species breeds from March to August. The nest varies between a shallow saucer and a deep cup constructed from twigs and waterside vegetation, and can be floating on or positioned up to 1 m above water in emergent vegetation, or positioned on a solid platform of branches in water. Less often the nest is placed in ground

vegetation or in low bushes on the bank near water, or in bushes and trees up to 8 m from the ground. Usually five to nine eggs are laid. The species is omnivorous and opportunistic, its diet consisting of earthworms, crustaceans, molluscs, adult and larval insects, spiders, small fish, tadpoles and occasionally birds eggs, as well as plant matter and berries and fruits (Taylor et al. 2014). It is a resident year round through much of its range however northern and north-western populations do migrate to southern and western Europe during the winter months (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997).Habitats & Altitude

Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance OccurrenceArtificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable non-breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable non-breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below ha) suitable breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below ha) suitable non-breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable breedingArtificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable non-breedingMarine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable breedingMarine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable non-breedingMarine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable breedingMarine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Inland Deltas suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Inland Deltas suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable non-breedingWetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands suitable breedingWetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands suitable non-breedingAltitude max. 1700 m Occasional altitudinal limits

ThreatsIn north-west Europe, populations are known to fluctuate significantly owing to severe winters (Taylor et al. 2014). The species is susceptible to avian influenza (Melville and Shortridge 2006, Gaidet et al. 2007) and avian botulism (Rocke 2006) and may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases. It is also vulnerable to predation by introduced American Mink (Neovison vison) in the U.K. (Ferraras and McDonald 1999).Threats & Impacts

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and StressesClimate change & severe weather

Temperature extremes

Timing Scope Severity ImpactPast, Likely to Return

Majority (50-90%) Causing/Could cause fluctuations

Past Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

Threats & ImpactsThreat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

American Mink (Neovison vison)

Timing Scope Severity ImpactPast, Likely to Return

Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Past Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Avian Influenza Virus (H subtype)

Timing Scope Severity ImpactFuture Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant

DeclinesLow Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Clostridium botulinum

Timing Scope Severity ImpactPast, Likely to Return

Majority (50-90%) Rapid Declines Past Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

ConservationConservation Actions UnderwayEU Birds Directive Annex II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species.

Conservation Actions ProposedWetland expansion for other species is likely to benefit this species. In areas where American Mink are present, predator control may be needed.

BibliographyFerreras, P., & Macdonald, D. W. (1999). The impact of American mink Mustela vison on water birds in the upper Thames. Journal of Applied Ecology, 36(5), 701-708.Gaidet, N.; Dodman, T.; Caron, A.; Balança, G.; Desvaux, S.; Goutard, F.; Cattoli, G.; Lamarque, F.; Hagemeijer, W.; Monicat, F. 2007. Avian Influenza Viruses in Water Birds, Africa. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13(4): 626-629.Hagemeijer, W.J.M. & Blair, M.J. (1997) The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London.Melville, D. S.; Shortridge, K. F. 2006. Migratory waterbirds and avian influenza in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway with particular reference to the 2003-2004 H5N1 outbreak. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith, C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 432-438. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK.Rocke, T. E. 2006. The global importance of avian botulism. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith, C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 422-426. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK.Taylor, B. & van Perlo, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.Taylor, B., Bonan, A. & Christie, D.A. (2014). Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2014). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53688 on 4 March 2015).

Map (see overleaf)