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Breeding Birds of the Platte River Valley

Common Moorhen -- (Gallinula chloropus)


Nebraska Status: An occasional migrant and rare summer resident in the east, present 23 March to 29 September (Johnsgard 1980).

Platte River Status: A rare migrant; very rare and irregular nesting species. Tout (1947) reported that common moorhen had not been recorded in Lincoln County for over 35 years.

Breeding Range: A very rare and irregular nesting species; our only data are from the Platte River Valley physiographic region. We expect that common moorhen occurs at least casually on wetlands in the Rainwater Basin area.

Breeding Population: We failed to record common moorhen on our random census plots in 1979-1980.

Habitat: Throughout most if its range, common moorhen is characteristic of semipermanent and permanent wetlands supporting dense stands of emergent aquatic vegetation.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Common moorhen occurs in our area too infrequently to be adversely affected by wetland loss.

Nesting Data: Our only evidence of nesting within the study area is included in statements by Bruner et al. (1904) that common moorhen was "reported ... as breeding at North Platte." Later, Haecker et al. (1945) mentioned that common moorhen had nested at North Platte. Haecker et al's. statement may refer to the earlier observation by Bruner et al.


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