(n.) One of several wading birds, having long, webless toes, and a frontal shield, belonging to the family Rallidae. They are remarkable for running rapidly over marshes and on floating plants. The purple gallinule of America is Ionornis Martinica, that of the Old World is Porphyrio porphyrio. The common European gallinule (Gallinula chloropus) is also called moor hen, water hen, water rail, moor coot, night bird, and erroneously dabchick. Closely related to it is the Florida gallinule (Gallinula galeata).
Example Sentences:
(1) The mute swan (Cygnus olor), mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), common gallinule (Gallinula chloropus), common rhea (Rhea americana), and red-billed hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus) were the 5 species most frequently affected of the 1,032 deaths from 1973 through 1983.
(2) But Mohamed is less interested in geology, and is soon pointing out pied kingfishers and the fabulously named squacco heron, the even more fabulous purple gallinule and the improbable Senegal Thick-knee.
Moorhen
Definition:
Example Sentences:
(1) Though waterbirds, including moorhens and gulls, live on the margins, and a thin scum of litter is visible at the shore, the reservoir is not intended as a home to wildlife, and any fish living here are accidental visitors.
(2) Bacteria of the genus Campylobacter were isolated from 28 Rooks (Corvus frugilegus), 1 Red Kite (Milvus milvus), 1 Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), 1 Coot (Fulica atra), 1 Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and 1 Northern Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).
(3) Already the floodplain has attracted Canada geese, ducks, moorhens, and drag onflies.
(4) Wendy Moorhen, deputy chair of the Richard III Society, said while they acknowledged "the sincerity" of the Plantagenet Alliance case, further arguments over the king's final resting place "can only be counterproductive to the solemnity of the reburial".
(5) None of 12 dusky moorhens (Gallinula tenebrosa) were infected.