Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday 32 - Tasmanian Native-hen

Tasmania is about 150 miles from the  mainland of Australia and has been separated from the mainland for about 10,000 years.   As a result it has a number of endemic species - that is ones that are not found anywhere else.

One of Tasmania's least colourful endemics is the Tasmanian Native-hen (Gallinula mortierii). This flightless bird is closely resulted to Moorhens.  Its about 45 cm long and can generally been seen dashing about from patches of cover.

Luckily for me these birds seemed a little more relaxed than some and were more willing to show than most of the others I saw.  This could be due to the fact that they were outside I coffee shop that also sold ice-cream!

As you can see the chicks are of such supreme ugliness that you can't help but like them!






Now its over to you!

Don't forget (please!!!) to link to an actual post rather than just to you blog address - it does make it easier for me, and directs other bloggers to the indented post.

So, click on the link below and off you go!

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52 comments:

  1. Rajesh20 February 2013 at 02:02

    Great looking hen.

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  2. Vores have20 February 2013 at 02:06

    Nice pictures you show of a cute Native-hen with chicks :) Hanne Bente

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  3. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 02:15

    They do look just like our moorhens with the red nose. Nice catch on these! Love that red eye.

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  4. Johnny Nutcase20 February 2013 at 02:29

    I still think these guys are pretty cool, even if they're lacking some color. And any baby chick is a cute one in my world! Great pics!

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  5. Carletta20 February 2013 at 02:31

    The yellow beak and red eye are quite attractive on the adult so it would seem the little ones grow into beauty.
    Wonderful shots Stewart!

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  6. Andrea @ From The Sol20 February 2013 at 02:31

    Ugly is Beautiful ... it's all in the eye of the beholder. I love this little sweet hen who is clearly related to our Moorhens so far, far away. Thank you again, Stewart, for broadening my knowledge. I am about to put Tasmania on my Bucket List ... though there probably is little chance I will make it there.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  7. Kerri Farley20 February 2013 at 02:41

    I think she's lovely!! and love that you captured the baby with her :)

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  8. Karen20 February 2013 at 02:50

    If it wasn't for the red eyes she'd be quite plain. The chick is cute. Great shots Sewart.

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  9. i stora drag20 February 2013 at 02:55

    I don't think they are ugly! Quite sweet! Nice captured, Stewart.
    Greetings Pia

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  10. EG CameraGirl20 February 2013 at 02:55

    They do remind me of moorhens. I honestly don't think they are ugly though, at least when compared to turkey vultures. :))

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  11. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 02:56

    Great shots Stewart! Thanks for hosting the hop!

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  12. TexWisGirl20 February 2013 at 02:56

    very cool looking bird! had a purple gallinule stop here one year. such powerful legs!

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  13. Brian King20 February 2013 at 03:02

    Love that red eye! They bear a resemblance to our Moorhen, just not as flashy.

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  14. Sallie (FullTime-Life)20 February 2013 at 03:03

    They do look quite a bit like our moor hens of which I can never get a picture. Your Baby birds aren't any homelier than the eaglets I have. I like them all!!

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  15. Richard Pegler20 February 2013 at 03:51

    I bet you think of Moorhens from the old country when you see these Stewart! Great post!

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  16. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 04:51

    Out for a stroll by the ice cream to see if anyone is handing out free samples.

    Great captures of Mama hen and her chick Stewart.

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  17. Kenneth Cole Schneider20 February 2013 at 05:10

    Its robust body structure reminds me of our exotic Purple Swamphens. I've not seen its small chicks for comparison.

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  18. Rebecca20 February 2013 at 05:16

    I kinda like the awkward teenage stage that chicks go through. (That might be because my teenage daughters are going through the same stage!)

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  19. mick20 February 2013 at 06:03

    Great photos. The sunshine shows off the different colors on the plumage.

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  20. Heather Wilde20 February 2013 at 06:16

    Hi Stewart, Findlay is away in North Wales at Grandma's but has given me strict instructions to link up his most recent blog and let you know he will be back sharing and commenting next week. Love those chicks, big stocky brutes!

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  21. Carole M.20 February 2013 at 07:17

    new one to me Stewart; thanks to you for sharing your photos

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  22. grammie g20 February 2013 at 08:00

    Hi Stewart...Those eyes are unforgettable even if she hasn't got the prettiest feathers out there : )
    I can't seem to get a link on my post back to WBW ..I prefer not to use url's !!
    Grace

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  23. Unknown20 February 2013 at 08:11

    Great series of shots. I can see why you like to live in Tasmania. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  24. HansHB20 February 2013 at 08:40

    Lovely serie of photos of this special bird!
    Well done!

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  25. eileeninmd20 February 2013 at 08:50

    Stewart, cool sighting of the native hen. And the chick is a cutie. It is nice that they were out in the open. Great shots! Thanks for hosting, have a great week!

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  26. DIMI20 February 2013 at 09:33

    Hi Stewart!Nice hen with chicks! Nice captured too!What a lovely island Tasmania is!Have a great day!
    Dimi..

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  27. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 12:12

    Very neat! I love those eyes!

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  28. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 12:34

    those red eyes are somewhat spooky!

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  29. Becky20 February 2013 at 13:02

    Intresting bird Stewart. A great beak for cracking seeds and whatever.

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  30. Gowri20 February 2013 at 15:02

    Love it! It's always special to see endemic birds of a far-away island. They are so like the birds of the mainland, yet so unique!

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  31. Jo20 February 2013 at 15:42

    Wonderful post. I've only ever heard of the Tazmanian Devil, now you show us the Tasmanian Native Hen. Hope you're having a great day. Greetings, Jo

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  32. Lovable Derek20 February 2013 at 17:53

    Ugly can be cool....
    Your photos are quite wonderful, and your posts are always entertaining. Thanks for this enchanting post.

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  33. Anonymous20 February 2013 at 17:59

    I see what you mean about the young one. That seems to frequently be the case with young birds.

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  34. Vineeta Yashsavi20 February 2013 at 20:07

    I like the forth picture in where baby is running behind...

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  35. Hootin Anni20 February 2013 at 20:32

    It does resemble a moorhen.

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  36. Mary Howell Cromer20 February 2013 at 23:39

    Not so attractive, and yet in ways they are, for I love those wonderful eyes! Of course any place that serves coffee, and ice cream must be a great spot for birding too;') I love them all!

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  37. Phil Slade21 February 2013 at 00:38

    They look a lot sturdier than Moorhen Stewart. I wouldn't fancy taking one out from a bird bag.Thanks for hosting the gallery again.

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  38. Liz21 February 2013 at 01:06

    So similar but so different to the Moorhen... both have ugly chicks though!!
    Great shots, Stewart!

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  39. ~~~jennifer~~~21 February 2013 at 01:32

    It's so fun to see birds from other parts of the world. I love the hen's red eye. Thanks for sharing.

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  40. Anonymous21 February 2013 at 03:02

    Nice series showing this bird and its young. The legs look very powerful.

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  41. Gail Dixon21 February 2013 at 03:13

    It may not be very colorful, but I love that red eye. Nice shots, Stewart! Thank you for hosting WBW! It's one of my favorites, me being a bird nerd and all. :)

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  42. Müge Tekil21 February 2013 at 05:18

    Ugly but very interesting species! With its non-functional wings, big + thick + strong legs and funny walk, it really seems to be a descendant of the dinosaur family :)

    http://dogadansevgiyle2013.blogspot.com

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  43. Wally Jones21 February 2013 at 06:49

    Interesting information on this species! Nice photos, too!
    The chick is beautiful to his Mama!

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  44. NatureFootstep21 February 2013 at 07:15

    interesting bird. And such red eyes it has. It does look like moorhens and the young too.

    Thanks for hosting. :)

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  45. Unknown21 February 2013 at 09:15

    What great photography..you made this species look beautiful..

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  46. Esther Joy21 February 2013 at 11:54

    Interesting looking birds! ...The coloring, and the red eyes caught my attention.

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  47. Gina Gao21 February 2013 at 13:40

    This is a very interesting post! I liked the pictures very much.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  48. Les Fous du Cap21 February 2013 at 19:49

    This comment was just a small allusion to spring ;-)
    Céline & Philippe

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  49. A Colorful World22 February 2013 at 05:30

    Your moorhen is delightful! My grandson likes to ask me to name five flightless birds and I am always stumped because there is a tendency to want to add roadrunners and chickens because they don't fly MUCH but they can fly for a very short distance. I'm never sure if that's cheating. You've given me a new one to add! I'm thrilled you got a shot of the baby, also! Oh, and I love the new size you are using for your pictures.

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  50. Jen22 February 2013 at 12:26

    I think the baby chick is adorable.

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  51. Cindy22 February 2013 at 23:24

    Beautiful!! Love their red eyes.

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  52. Pat Tillett1 March 2013 at 06:11

    I've certainly never seen any of these before. The chick is cute! (in it's own way)

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