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LETTERS

Help Us Identify A Small Black Bird

Common Moorhen with chick

Susan from St. Pete Writes...

-----Original Message-----

From: Susan

To Central Florida Bird Watchers:

Subject: Small black bird

I just moved to St. Pete from Buffalo, New York. I have figured out what most of the birds are, but there's one I can't identify. It's small and black (about the size of a large pigeon) with a red and yellow beak that extends up onto its forehead. It has short legs that are also red and yellow. The feet aren't webbed, but the toes are very long, like a wading bird. The bird has a surprisingly loud call. It also floats on the water like a duck. Can you tell me what it is?

Our Reply

Susan:

What you are seeing is one of my favorite birds, the Moorhen. It is a member of the Rail family and is very common in Florida.

There is another bird that is similar to the Moorhen but is far less common, the Purple Gallinule. This bird lives in the same type of habitat and likes to walk on top of Lily Pads as it searches for food. The Purple Gallinule is just a little larger than the Moorhen but has a noticeable purple/bluish cast to its back and head.

Thanks for visiting our web site.

Regards...

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