Dusky Moorhen
Male bird, Irvinebank, September 2026.
The male and female are similar in size at about 340-380mm. They have grey-black plumage with a large reddish-orange shield above the yellow tipped bill.
Immature bird, Irvinebank, September 2026.
Immature birds are greyer colour and without the frontal shield. Both sexes have a white tail with broad central black line and have brown eyes.
Female, Adelaide, March 2021.
Legs are reddish for both birds but the female has a smaller shield above the bill. It lives near lakes, permanent swamps, waterways with grassy banks and reed cover.
Adelaide, March 2021.
They feed on vegetable matter, insects, fish, worms, molluscs, often flicking up it’s tail as it feeds. When they are not breeding the legs are green below the knee and the frontal shield of the male is duller.
They breed from August to February nesting in the reeds in water laying 5-8 eggs.