29.1.08

central coast swamp hens




Such a weird looking bird, very prehistoric looking.
I couldn't get a shot of the little black babies as the mother was very protective. The babies ran and hid in amongst the reeds every time I came close.
It would be interesting to see the skeleton of this bird just to see how their beaks join to their heads and how there leg bones look. I suppose they would look very much like a chicken but maybe the bones would be thicker. Maybe a trip to the museum some time soon.

1 comment:

tilcheff said...

Purple Swamphens always remind me of the extinct New Zealand gigantic Moa for some reason.
Pity you couldn't get a picture of the babies. But it's always most important not to disturb the animals too much...