Bird Album
Lesser Moorhen
Paragallinula angulata (Sundevall, 1850)
130 gWeight
The lesser moorhen (Paragallinula angulata) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae.
Busiest months: January · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Lesser Moorhen has been recorded at 189 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 23 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kgomo-KgomoSouth Africa94 records
- Mabamba SwampUganda77 records
- Amboseli NPKenya49 records
More places
- Nylsvley Nature ReserveSouth Africa46 records
- Nairobi NPKenya44 records
- Sable farm,LusakaZambia40 records
- Tarangire NPTanzania39 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania39 records
- Macaneta – Wetland, dune forests and coastMozambique36 records
- iSimangaliso WP – Eastern ShoresSouth Africa34 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The lesser moorhen (Paragallinula angulata) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is sometimes placed into the genus Gallinula. It is the only member of the genus Paragallinula.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lesser Moorhen?
The Lesser Moorhen weighs around 130 g.
Where does the Lesser Moorhen live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Moorhen?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Lesser Moorhen endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lesser Moorhen as Least Concern.
What does the Lesser Moorhen eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Lesser Moorhen in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 130 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 133 mm
- Tail
- 60 mm
- Bill
- 22 mm
- Tarsus
- 36 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Paragallinula
More from the family Rails, Crakes & Coots
Grey-throated RailCanirallus oculeus
Chestnut-headed CrakeAnurolimnas castaneiceps
Spotted RailPardirallus maculatus
Blackish RailPardirallus nigricans
Plumbeous RailPardirallus sanguinolentus
Ash-throated CrakeMustelirallus albicollis
Zapata RailMustelirallus cerverai
Colombian CrakeMustelirallus colombianus
Paint-billed CrakeMustelirallus erythrops
Uniform CrakeAmaurolimnas concolor
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Asrat Ayalew Gella. ↗
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