Moorhens usually nest from spring to summer, between April and August, often laying two to three clutches per year. Nests are skilfully concealed in dense vegetation, either on the ground, on a floating platform among marsh plants, or sometimes perched low in a bush, tree or on the bank. Both parents participate in building the nest with materials such as reeds, leaves and stems. The female typically lays 5 to 8 smooth, off-white eggs with dark spots, which the male and female incubate alternately for about 3 weeks.
Upon hatching, the chicks leave the nest almost immediately, as they are able to walk and swim from day one (they are said to be precocial). However, the parents continue to brood them for the first two weeks and feed them for up to 45 days, sometimes assisted by the young from a previous brood. The chicks become independent on average between 3 and 7 weeks after birth, but they do not reach full independence and sexual maturity until several months later. This sociable and clever behaviour makes the moorhen a well-adapted species, both in natural wetlands and urban water bodies.
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Source: Oiseaux.net
Location:
English