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Australian Wildlife

  Tasmanian Native Hen (Gallinula mortierii)





Tasmanian Native Hen | Gallinula mortierii photo
Tasmanian Native-hen, Tasmania, Australia

Image by Noodle snacks(http://www.noodlesnacks.com/) - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Tasmanian Native Hen | Gallinula mortierii photo
Tasmanian Native Hen

Image by Felix Wilson - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Tasmanian Native Hen | Gallinula mortierii photo
Tasmanian Native-hens (Gallinula mortierii) on Bruny Island, Tasmania

Image by D. Gordon E. Robertson - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







BIRD FACTS

Description
The Tasmanian Native Hen is a large rail. It is olive brown above and grey underneath, becoming almost black at the belly. The bill is yellowish green and the bill is grey. The Tasmanian Native Hen can run very fast and is a good swimmer.

Other Names
Native-hen, Water-hen

Size
43cm

Habitat
edges of lakes, creeks, swamps

Food
water plants, seeds, insects, small crustaceans, small frogs

Breeding
The Tasmanian Native Hen nest is a platform of grass, roots and leaves. Six to nine stone coloured eggs are laid.

Range
only found in Tasmania

distribution map showing range of Gallinula mortierii in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.



Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Gruiformes
Family:Rallidae
Genus:Gallinula
Species:mortierii
Common Name:Tasmanian Native Hen

Relatives in same Genus
  Dusky Moorhen (G. tenebrosa)
  Black-tailed Native-hen (G. ventralis)