Dusky Moorhens typically feed each other - I recall similar surprise at
the Dusky Moorhens in the Botanic Gardens many years ago, where the
sequence went:
Picnic meal for humans attracted Dusky Moorhens to lake bank. Bread
was thrown to them.
Probable male, out on the bank among our feet - fed probable female,
in the water by the edge - 'she' fed some immature birds (brown, no
colour on beaks) swimming nearby - they swam further out and fed two
young babies, well out on the water. Sometimes the male fed the
immatures while the female was finding bread in the water.
Members of a different DM family group were noisily chased away.
I wrote this up in 'Australian Bird Watcher' (Vol.6, No. 8,
Dec.1976)'Multiple Feeding by Dusky Moorhens'. I was unaware that this
behaviour in Coots and Moorhens was in fact well known and mentioned in
British bird-books.
Perhaps this behaviour is most likely in places where there is plenty
of food. I would not now encourage feeding bread to birds.
Anthea Fleming
On 10/02/2011 7:42 PM, Sonja Ross wrote:
This afternoon I watched some very young Moorhen chicks being fed.
Sometimes an immature bird from an earlier brood this season would take food
from an adult and give it to a small chick. I don¹t have HANZAB and
wondered if this is usual within Moorhen families. Could anyone enlighten
me?
Thanks,
Sonja
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