The Moorhen appears mostly black, but a closer look reveals blackish-brown upperparts and grey-black below. Underneath the tail (undertail coverts) are white and there is a white line along the flank. The bill and frontal shield (forehead) is red, the bill having a yellow tip. The legs and feet are a striking yellow-green, and if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of the red "garter" at the top of the legs. The toes are lobed, not webbed. The eye is red.

Moorhens tend to be more solitary and feed around the water's edge. Though they appear placid, fighting is common and often prolonged, with each bird striking the other violently with the feet and even attempting to push or drag them underwater.

Generally, the female builds the nest among vegetation in the water while the male gathers the twigs, etc. Both parents incubate the eggs and look after the precocial nestlings, which when newly hatched are fed in the nest for a couple of days before swimming with their parents.