Crossword clues for moorhen
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wiktionary
n. 1 Any of various medium-sized water birds of the genus ''Gallinula'', of the rail family, that feed in open water margins. 2 (context British English) A female red grouse, (taxlink Lagopus lagopus scotica subspecies noshow=1).
WordNet
n. black gallinule that inhabits ponds and lakes [syn: Gallinula chloropus]
female red grouse
Wikipedia
Moorhens — sometimes called marsh hens — are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus Gallinula, Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots, and because of their apparently nervous behavior (frequently twitching tail, neck and grinding their backs) are sometimes called "skitty coots". They are often referred to as (black) gallinules.
Two species from the Australian region, sometimes separated in , are called "nativehens". The nativehens differ visually by shorter, thicker and stubbier toes and bills, and longer tails that lack the white signal pattern of typical moorhens.
Usage examples of "moorhen".
Near the large hearth in the middle of the flagged floor, a young boy turned a brace of moorhens on a spit.
This year was happy in unusual numbers of birds (nesting-time had been particularly favourable) and Stephen and Brigid wandered about the smooth hay-meadows, by the standing corn, and along the banks, he telling her the names of countless insects, many, many birds - kingfishers, dippers, dabchicks, and the occasional teal: coots and moorhens, of course - as well as his particular favourites, henharrier, sparrowhawk and kestrel and once a single splendid peregrine, a falcon clipping her way not much above head-height with effortless speed.
Otters, kingfishers, dabchicks, moorhens, all of them about all day long and always wanting you to do something – as if a fellow had no business of his own to attend to!
He now saw (what had, indeed, been going on for some time) that there was a ceaseless stream of waterfowl, mallards, ducks, coots, moorhens, and lesser grebes coming towards him, swimming to the westward.
Angling and disputing for positions at her feet and over various parts of her accommodating body were a whitethroat, a fieldfare, a willowwren, a nuthatch, a tree-pipit, a sand martin, a red-backed shrike, a goldfinch, a yellow bunting, two jays, a greater spotted woodpecker, three moorhens (on her lap with a mallard, a woodcock, and a curlew), a wagtail, four missel thrushes, six blackbirds, a nightingale and twentyseven sparrows.