BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Moorhen

MOORHEN
Gallinula chloropus

Conservation Listings

Unlisted/Green
Biodiversity Steering Group: Unlisted

Long term trend

UK: Fluctuating with no long-term trend
Lowland farmland: Moderate decline

Status Summary

Moorhen numbers on linear waterways have fluctuated and show no long-term trend. However, numbers on farmland CBC plots have shown a moderate decline since 1972, which may indicate a decline in number and quantity of farm ponds and other standing waterbodies. The decline has been associated with significant reductions in breeding performance. Average clutch size has declined by nearly half an egg and the failure rate of nests over the full 25-day egg period (20 days for incubation and 5 days for laying) has increased from 31% to 41%.

Table of population changes for Moorhen

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

CBC all habitats 31 1968-1999 99 -5 -25 16

25 1974-1999 101 -20 -36 -4

10 1989-1999 90 -8 -22 7

5 1994-1999 93 -8 -17 1

CBC farmland 31 1968-1999 57 -32 -48 -10 >25

25 1974-1999 55 -43 -52 -29 >25

10 1989-1999 51 -3 -13 10

5 1994-1999 51 -5 -15 9

WBS waterways 24 1975-1999 79 -9 -30 24

10 1989-1999 91 10 -8 33

5 1994-1999 95 1 -7 9

BBS UK 6 1994-2000 498 18 7 30

BBS England 6 1994-2000 457 18 6 30

The Breeding Bird Survey is jointly funded by BTO, JNCC and RSPB

Table of productivity information for Moorhen

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 31 1968-1999 97 Linear decline 6.51 eggs 6.07 eggs -0.44 eggs

Brood size 31 1968-1999 79 Curvilinear 3.43 chicks 4.38 chicks 0.95 chicks

Daily failure rate (eggs) 31 1968-1999 112 Curvilinear 0.0146 nests/day 0.0207 nests/day 0.0061 nests/day

Daily failure rate (chicks) 31 1968-1999 32 None

Laying date 31 1968-1999 73 Linear decline day 130 day 126 -4 days

Insufficient data on nestling failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H.,
Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. and Wernham, C.V. (2002) Breeding Birds in the Wider
Countryside: their conservation status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

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This page last updated: 21 April, 2008

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