Common (Hawaiian) Moorhens recorded per party hr on the
Lihue Christmas Count
(see Count
Page) in 1972-1991. This species has
shown similar fluctuations in
populations on the Kapa'a and Waipi'o
Christmas Counts, related to rainfall levels in
the state. Wetter periods (such
as 1976-1984 and 1991-1996) are more favorable for
moorhens than drought periods
(see also Hawaiian Coot).
Species account
Graphs of Christmas Count data
developed as part of The Birds of the Hawaiian
Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and
Status by Robert L. Pyle and Peter Pyle
http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/2009/