The classic sound of the moorhen
Distinctive and approachable too, the moorhen is a familiar bird of ponds, lakeside, canals, and rivers. Absent from higher ground of moors and peat bogs the name is a corruption of the old ‘mere-hen’ or ‘water–hen’. They are very territorial and defend their ‘patch’ against rivals and other birds like the bigger, more aggressive coot.
Moorhen pairs are not faithful but promiscuous so inter-pair mating frequently take place.
Known as ‘skitty coots’, moorhens appear nervy and twitchy with constantly flickering tails (scuts) with strikingly white undersides a visible announcement of territory ownership.
With oversized legs and feet, on land they seem almost comical and run or walk with a characteristic rhythmical pumping action of the head and neck.
The call during any anxious moments is usually ‘krrrruk’ with high-pitched ‘kik-kik-kik’ the most classic sound of many wetlands.
Nationally we have nearly a quarter of a million breeding pairs; in wintertime with European migrants, the numbers rise to around a million. These moorhens are found in almost every type of wetland in the lower-lying countryside including pools, muddy ditches, and sometimes garden ponds.
Remarkably, I even had one over winter for several months in my wildlife garden a few years back.
Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer & broadcaster on wildlife & environmental issues, is contactable on ianonthewildside@ukeconet. org; follow Ian’s blog (https:// ianswalkonthewildside. wordpress.com/) and Twitter @ IanThewildside