Gallinula
Four extant species, all of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.
There are also three extinct island-dwelling species of
Gallinula known from historical records, and also currently-undescribed species from Viti Levu (Fiji) and Eua (Tonga) which became extinct before European arrival.
Tristan da Cunha Moorhen Gallinula nesiotes
Endemic to the island of Tristan da Cunha in the south Atlantic Ocean. The species was common at the time of European discovery but was probably extinct before 1900 due to the introduction of mammals (rats, cats, and pigs) to the island. There is some dispute as to whether it is distinct from the closely-related Gough Island Moorhen
Gallinula comeri or whether they are subspecies.
Samoan Moorhen Gallinula pacificus
Often retained in lists of extant species but it was last definitely recorded in the 1870s and was probably extinct before the turn of that century. There have been supposed sightings since then, even as recently as 1984 but they cannot be given much credence. The species has also been placed in
Pareudiastes along with the Makira Moorhen.
Makira Moorhen Gallinula silvestris
Often retained in lists of extant species but the only specimen ever collected was in 1929 on Makira (San Cristobel) in the Solomon Islands. There are local reports from the 1950s, 1970s, and even as late as 2002, but with no confirmations. As with the Samoan Moorhen, this species has also been placed in the genus
Pareudiastes.
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Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Five subspecies generally recognised:
chloropus, guami, meridionalis, orientalis, pyrrhorrhoa.
The Common Gallinule
Gallinula galeata of the Americas was also formerly included within this species.
The subspecies
chloropus,
meridionalis and
orientalis are represented in the Zoochat galleries.
G. c. chloropus is found in Europe, North Africa, the African islands (Azores, Madeira, Canaries, and Cape Verde Islands), and east across Asia to Japan, the Indian subcontinent, and Peninsular Malaysia; wintering birds also range to subSaharan Africa.
G. c. guami is found in the Northern Mariana Islands and on Guam.
G. c. meridionalis is found throughout subSaharan Africa, and on the island of St Helena.
G. c. orientalis is found in the Seychelles and Andaman Islands, and from southern Peninsular Malaysia through the Greater Sundas, Philippines, the Lesser Sundas, and Palau.
G. c. pyrrhorrhoa is found on the Indian Ocean islands, including Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, and the Mascarene Islands.
Photo by
@KevinB in the wild, Belgium - subspecies
chloropus.
Wild Eurasian common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus), 2021-11-06 - ZooChat
Photo by
@KevinB in the wild, Netherlands - juvenile of the subspecies
chloropus.
Wild juvenile Eurasian common moorhen (Gallinulla chloropus chloropus), 2007-09-16 - ZooChat
Photo by
@Lafone in the wild, UK - chick of the subspecies
chloropus.
Moorhen chick (wild) UK - ZooChat
Photo by
@Jaguar_X at Monkeyland and Birds of Eden (South Africa) - subspecies
meridionalis.
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - ZooChat
Photo by
@Rizz Carlton at Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) - subspecies
orientalis.
Indo-Pacific common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - ZooChat
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Gough Island Moorhen Gallinula comeri
Monotypic.
There is some dispute as to whether this species is distinct from the closely-related (but now extinct) Tristan da Cunha Moorhen
Gallinula nesiotes or whether it should be treated as a subspecies.
Endemic to Gough Island in the south Atlantic Ocean. This species was also introduced in 1956 to the island of Tristan da Cunha, also in the south Atlantic, which formerly was inhabited by a closely-related species (
G. nesiotes) which became extinct before 1900.
Photo by
@gentle lemur at Lotherton Hall (UK)
Gough Island moorhen - ZooChat
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Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
Seven subspecies:
barbadensis, cachinnans, cerceris, galeata, garmani, pauxilla, sandvicensis.
Until recently this species was included within the Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus of the Old World, but it has been separated (and widely accepted) based on genetics, voice, and morphological differences.
The subspecies
cachinnans,
galeata and
sandvicensis are represented by good photos in the Zoochat galleries. A fourth subspecies (
pauxilla) can be seen in a photo taken by
@Nick@Amsterdam at Parque de Las Leyendas in Peru (albeit misidentified as a Red-fronted Coot
Fulica rufifrons) but it is too small within the photo to bother using it in this thread:
Tufted Capuchins (Cebus apella) in a mixed exhibit - ZooChat
G. g. barbadensis is endemic to Barbados.
G. g. cachinnans is found from Canada and USA to Panama, and also in Bermuda and the Galapagos Islands.
G. g. cerceris is found in Greater and Lesser Antilles.
G. g. galeata is found from Venezuela south to Uruguay and Argentina, and also on Trinidad.
G. g. garmani is found in the Andes of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina.
G. g. pauxilla is found from Panama to coastal Chile.
G. g. sandvicensis is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Photo by
@jayjds2 at the Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) - subspecies
cachinnans.
Common Gallinule - ZooChat
Photo by
@red river hog in the wild, USA (in the grounds of Zoo Miami) - chick of the subspecies
cachinnans.
North American Common Gallinule Chick - ZooChat
Photo by
@Therabu in the wild, Brazil - subspecies
galeata.
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) - ZooChat
Photo by
@JaxElephant in the wild, Kaua'i (Hawaiian Islands, USA) - subspecies
sandvicensis.
'Alae 'Ula - ZooChat
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Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
Three subspecies:
frontata, neumanni, tenebrosa
The subspecies
tenebrosa is represented in the Zoochat galleries.
G. t. frontata is found from Sulawesi to New Guinea.
G. t. neumanni is found in northern New Guinea.
G. t. tenebrosa is found in Australia and Tasmania.
Photo by
@WhistlingKite24 in the wild, Australia - subspecies
tenebrosa.
Dusky Moorhen - ZooChat
Photo by
@Hix in the wild, Australia - chick of the subspecies
tenebrosa.
Dusky Moorhen chick - ZooChat
