Common Gallinule

Description:

The Common Gallinule, (Gallinula galeata) is a bird in the Rallidae family which has recently been split from the Common Moorhen by the American Ornithologists' Union in July 2011. The Gallinule has dark plumage apart from the white undertail, yellow legs and a red facial shield. The young are browner and lack the red shield. It has a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened

Habitat:

It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions, or many tropical rainforests. But elsewhere the Common Gallinule is likely the most commonly seen rail species in much of North America, excepting the American Coot in some regions.