Editing Common moorhen (section)

==Description==
[[File:Moorhen feet.jpg|thumb|Common moorhen feet have no webbing.]]
The moorhen is a distinctive species, with predominantly black and brown plumage, with the exception of a white under-tail, white streaks on the flanks, yellow legs and a red [[frontal shield]]. The bill is red with a yellow tip. The young are browner and lack the red shield. The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line. The [[subspecies]] ''G. c. meridionalis'' is smaller than the [[nominate subspecies|nominate]], has slaty blue-grey upperwing [[Covert feather|coverts]] and lacks the olive wash. Subspecies ''G. c. orientalis'' is similar to ''G. c. meridionalis'' but has a larger shield. Subspecies ''G. c. pyrrhorrhoa'' is darker than the nominate; subspecies ''G. c. pyrrhorrhoa'' has buff {{Birdgloss|undertail coverts}}.<ref name="hbw">{{ cite book | last=Taylor | first=P.B. | year=1996 | chapter=Family Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules and coots) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World | volume=3: Hoatzin to Auks | location=Barcelona, Spain | publisher=Lynx Edicions | isbn=978-84-87334-20-7 | pages=108–209 [200–201] | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0003unse/page/200/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}</ref> In the related [[common gallinule]] (''Gallinula galeata'') of the Americas, the frontal shield has a fairly straight top and is less wide towards the bill, giving a marked indentation to the back margin of the red area.

The common moorhen gives a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened.<ref name=Snow/> A midsized to large rail, it can range from {{convert|30|to|38|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and span {{convert|50|to|62|cm|in|abbr=on}} across the wings. The body mass of this species can range from {{convert|192|to|500|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=arkive/><ref name=AAB/>