The moorhen is a browny black bird with greeny yellow legs and a red beak with a yellow tip.

Their Latin name means Green Legged Little Hen.

They can be found practically anywhere where there is water.

They are related to the coot and the young look very similar.

They eat plant material, small rodents, berries, snails, worms and amphibians.

An average of 8 eggs are laid at a rate of 1 per day and the first few chicks to hatch go off with one parent after a few days, leaving the other parent with the remaining chicks.

Moorhens will employ they offspring as childminders for later broods, although their food choices arent always as appropriate.

Juvenile moorhens are brown. When they develop their adult plumage with red and yellow beak, the parents will chase them away.