Water-hen, or MOOR-HEN (Gallinula chloropus), one of the rails (Rallidæ), resident and widely distributed in Britain. It occurs throughout Europe, except in northern parts, and from North Africa to Cape Colony, from Ceylon and the
Philippines to Japan and Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is represented by closely allied forms—G. galatca and G. tenchrosa—in America and Australia respectively. It lives by ponds and streams, makes its nest of matted reeds and sedges generally among the thick vegetation near the water's edge, begins to breed before the winter is well over, and produces two or even three broods in the season. The (seven to nine) eggs are buffish-white speckled with reddish-brown; 'the young from the first nest assist their parents in building another, and even in taking care of the second brood.' The food generally consists of slugs, worms, grass, grain, and insects, but the bird will also devour the young of other water-fowl. 'The call-note is a loud crek-rek-rek, several times repeated, especially towards evening.' In length the bird measures about a foot; the predominant colours are dark olive-brown and dark slate-gray, but there are white streaks on the flanks, and the under tail-coverts are white. See Howard Saunders, Manual of British Birds.