#541 Common Moorhen

Surely I’ve seen a Common Moorhen before now? Well, yes I have. Many times and on more than one continent. However, the American Ornithological Union has just split the species into 2, Common Gallinule (Gallinula cachinnans) in North America and Common Moorhen, (Gallinula chloropus) in Europe. When I heard this I had to check to see if I’d had the bird in Europe and indeed I had, at least four times on my trip to Munich back in March. In fact. I even managed a bad photo of one at Schloss Nymphenburg:

I didn’t think much of it then, but now it counts as a new life bird.

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