waterhens
Wading rail relatives
Waterhens are medium-sized freshwater birds of the rail family, also called moorhens or gallinules.
They have dark plumage, often with white markings, and swim with a distinctive bobbing motion.
The name reflects their chicken-like appearance and aquatic habitat: Waterhens picked through the reeds at the pond's edge.
Aquatic rail family bird
- cootLobed-foot marsh bird
- railHorizontal support bar
- waterfowlSwimming birds collectively
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
feathers · beak · wings · foraging · wading · swimming · nesting · broods
Water-saturated terrain
- marshesWaterlogged land with grasses
- swampsWaterlogged forested wetlands
- pondsSmall freshwater bodies
- lakesLarge inland water bodies
reeds · sedges · rushes · freshwater · vegetation · shallows · mudflats · riverbanks
Seeking wild food sources
- divingEntering water deliberately
- swimmingLocomotion through water
- wadingTraversing shallow water on foot
- territorialDefensive about owned space
nesting · brooding · feeding · dabbling · skulking · flicking · bobbing · calling
One who studies birds
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- identificationEstablishing who someone is
plumage · breeding · migration · conservation · population · surveys · ringing · taxonomy
gallinule
Aquatic rail family bird
plumage · feathers · beak · wings · foraging · wading · swimming · nesting · broods · chicks
wetlands
Water-saturated terrain
lakes · reeds · sedges · rushes · freshwater · vegetation · shallows · mudflats · riverbanks · riparian
foraging
Seeking wild food sources
- divingEntering water deliberately
- swimmingLocomotion through water
- wadingTraversing shallow water on foot
territorial · nesting · brooding · feeding · dabbling · skulking · flicking · bobbing · calling · preening
ornithologist
One who studies birds
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
identification · plumage · breeding · migration · conservation · population · surveys · ringing · taxonomy · avifauna
waterhensroadrunners
Ground cuckoos of arid lands
ostriches · quails · sandgrouse · grouse · bustards