Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa Scientific name definitions

35–40 cm (New Guinea birds 25–32 cm); nominate 336–720 (525) g, neumanni 290–370 (333) g; wingspan 55–65 cm. Darker and more uniform in plumage than Eurasian G. c. chloropus, but differs from marginally sympatric G. c. orientalis only in absence of prominent white line along top of flanks, only infrequently showing narrow or broken line; orange to red legs and feet with dark soles and joints. Separated from other sympatric congeners by dark plumage  , white outer rectrices and lateral undertail-coverts, and bare part colours. Sexes similar. Non-breeding adult has bill dull red (most often in males) to olive-black, shrunken shield olive green or darker, red on tarsus and toes fades to olive green or yellow. Immature similar to adult but iris dark brown, bill, shield and tibia olive black or olive brown, and tarsus olive green. Juvenile duller than adult, browner on upperparts, paler on throat and underparts, with feathers of lower breast and belly extensively fringed white; bill and shrunken shield pale red, becoming dark olive brown; iris dark brown; legs and feet dark olive green or olive brown. Races separated on size and colour: neumanni smaller and darker; <em>frontata</em> slightly smaller than nominate, darker below, with front of tarsus and top of toes bright red (differences in leg and foot colour need further investigation).

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Local in New Britain and New Caledonia (probably a recent colonist on both islands), subspecies unknown (1 Dutson, G. (2011). Birds of Melanesia: The Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

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SUBSPECIES

Gallinula tenebrosa frontata Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Sulawesi through Sula Is (Taliabu), S Moluccas and Lesser Sundas to W and SE New Guinea.

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SUBSPECIES

Gallinula tenebrosa neumanni Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N New Guinea.

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SUBSPECIES

Gallinula tenebrosa tenebrosa Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Australia and Tasmania.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Inhabits permanent or ephemeral wetlands, usually freshwater but sometimes brackish or saline: swamps, creeks, rivers, lagoons and estuaries. Also occupies artificial wetlands such as reservoirs, farm dams, and ornamental ponds and lakes in parks and gardens. Requires open water, which usually has fringing cover such as reeds, rushes and grass, and often has floating , emergent or aquatic vegetation; however, waters choked with water hyacinth (Eichhornia) are avoided. Occasionally frequents rubbish dumps and polluted water. Seldom found far from wetland edge, except when foraging in surrounding short vegetation. Uncommon on saline and ephemeral waters; rarely in mangroves.

Vegetable matter, including algae, and vegetative parts, seeds and fruits of plants of: Azollaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Potomogetonaceae, Lemnaceae, Poaceae, Typhaceae, Polygonaceae, Portulacaceae, Solanaceae and Nymphaeaceae. Also worms, molluscs, arachnids, insects and their larvae (Odonata, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera), amphibians, fish, carrion, bread, and droppings of gulls and ducks. Diurnal; forages in open water and among floating vegetation, usually within 100 m of cover; also on adjacent land; often on grass and herbfields near water; rarely among tall terrestrial vegetation. Gleans and pecks on ground or low vegetation; while swimming gleans from surface and upends for 2–7 seconds, with tail and legs above water, taking food up to 30 cm below surface; does not dive. Sometimes chases insects; rarely stretches up on toes to take food; sometimes pins food item to ground with foot.

Sulawesi, possibly Apr, downy young Mar; Seram, juvenile, May; New Guinea, small young May–Jun; Australia, Aug–Mar. Territorial when breeding. Simultaneously promiscuous, forming breeding groups of 2–7 apparently unrelated birds; individuals sometimes switch groups between seasons. Within group, all males copulate with all females. All group members defend territory, build nests , incubate , and care for young ; older siblings sometimes help to care for young. Nest usually built up to 180 cm above water (occasionally on ground) in grass tussocks, reeds (especially Typha, Phragmites), rushes, bushes or trees; also on water-lilies, floating in clear water, and in stumps or hollow logs; recorded building inside metal drum and wire netting. In addition to egg-nest, may build 1–2 false nests, abandoned before completion; 1–2 brooding nests built after eggs hatch. Nest a bulky platform or shallow cup of reeds, rushes, twigs, bark, leaves and waterweed; external diameter 25–30 cm; bowl 15–20 cm wide, 6–8 cm deep. Eggs 5–18 (mean 8); large clutches probably from 2 or more females; laying irregular for first few days, then daily; in Australian study, one egg was laid per day by each female in group until clutch of 5–8 per female complete; incubation 19–24 days; hatching asynchronous, within 1–5 days; chick has black down, tipped silver on throat and neck, bill red with yellow base, skin of crown orange-brown or red, skin round eye bright blue, skin on leading edge of wing orange-yellow; chicks semi-precocial and nidifugous; leave nest after 3–4 days; fed intensively and brooded until c. 4 weeks old, then fed less frequently until c. 9 weeks old; begin to feed independently after 3–4 weeks; fully feathered at 1 month, brown with light grey streaks on cheeks; fly at 8 weeks; post-juvenile moult possibly occurs during autumn of first year, Australia. Most birds enter breeding groups when more than 20 months old. In Australian study, early nesting groups lost 13·4% eggs per group and fledged 1·97 young per female, while late nesting groups lost 38·5% eggs per group and fledged 0·5 young per female; Australian nest record cards show overall hatching success of 55·5%. Normally single-brooded; may lay twice per season in Australia.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). In Australia , nominate race widespread and common in E and inland range is expanding: small population recently established in N Western Australia and first breeding recorded recently in some parts of W Queensland and E South Australia. First bred on Flinders I 1935 and King I 1960s; has colonized N Tasmania since 1976. Favoured by construction of artificial wetlands, but habitat losses occur through wetland drainage. Race frontata formerly regarded as common over most of range; present overall status uncertain, but both this race and neumanni are currently widespread and locally common in lowlands of New Guinea. On the five islands where sympatry with G. chloropus is recorded, G. chloropus is apparently replacing present species on Sulawesi and Sumba, while present species has not been recorded from Borneo, Flores and Sumbawa since 19th century.