Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus
The common-moorhen chicken measures approximately 37 cm long. It features a red face shield, white stripes on the sides, black plumage and yellow legs. Immature are dark brown with lighter belly without red facial shield.
The common-moorhen chicken is a bird in the Rallidae family gruiforme. Water Bird of the most common in various parts of Brazil, scarce in the Amazon forest and, surprisingly, is not very frequent in the Pantanal. Also known as Woodcock (Rio Grande do Sul), jaçanã bantamweight (Northeast), Busty (Rio de Janeiro) and moorhen.
It feeds on a wide range of plant material, and small aquatic animals. Frequents lakes, ponds, canals, marsh and also brackish lagoons. It is migratory bird, moving north during the austral winter.
The nest is a covered basket built on the ground in dense vegetation. The female lays between 8 and 12 eggs. There may be a second litter of the year, comprised between 5 and 8 eggs. Incubation lasts about three weeks and is carried by both parents.