Dusky Moorhen

Description:

The Dusky Moorhen is a member of the rail family Rallidae. It occurs in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. The adult Dusky Moorhen is mainly dark grey-black, with a browner tinge to the upper parts. It has a red frontal shield and yellow-tipped red bill like its Eurasian relative, but lacks the white flank line shown by Common Moorhen, and has orange-yellow rather than yellow legs. Sexes are similar, but young birds have mid-brown plumage. This species builds a bulky nest at the water's edge, and lays 5-18 whitish eggs. It is territorial when breeding, but otherwise gregarious.

Habitat:

The Dusky Moorhen is found in wetland habitats, with a preference for freshwater lakes and marshes. It will forage on rubbish tips, and is generally omnivorous, taking a wide variety of plant and animal food.

Notes:

This bird was spotted at the lake on the University of Queensland Campus. It's a fantastic spot for waterbirds of all varieties, and is just across the river from my home. Worth another visit. In fact, many more visits. http://www.uq.edu.au/sustainability/uq-s... The brown duck in the background of these photos is a Hardhead (Aythya australis) aka White-eyed Duck.