Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks August to April · Rails, Gallinules, and Coots · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Moorhen has been recorded in 2,128 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (72%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in August to April.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 45% or more of visits
- High
- 26% to 45%
- Moderate
- 12% to 26%
- Low
- under 12%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 92% | 31% | Very high |
| February | 96% | 32% | Very high |
| March | 100% | 34% | Very high |
| April | 94% | 32% | High |
| May | 79% | 27% | Low |
| June | 70% | 24% | Low |
| July | 83% | 28% | Very high |
| August | 89% | 30% | Very high |
| September | 89% | 30% | Very high |
| October | 87% | 30% | Very high |
| November | 94% | 32% | Very high |
| December | 94% | 32% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C62 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C92 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D10 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H14 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H24 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H98 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J08 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J12 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J14 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |