A Common Moorhen, not to be confused with its more lavish cousin, the Purple Gallinule. In fact, the poor Moorhen has even lost its more interesting name to become subservient to its flashier cousin, and is now properly called the Common Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus). Many may not find this bird exciting but the bird’s alluring call emanating unseen from overgrown wetlands adds a bit of mystery to the landscape. The scientific name refers to its chicken-like appearance as a “little hen”, Gallinula, and to its yellow-green feet, chloropus, leaving out one of the bird’s most distinctive features, the bright red shield it sports on the front of its head.