Occurs in a wide variety of wetland habitats and is a … The dusky moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) is a bird species in the rail family and is one of the eight extant species in the moorhen genus. Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 1/640sec | f/8 | ISO 800 | 750 mm (effective focal length), Stopped in a park in Gympie Queensland and there were lots of birds. Description The Dusky Moorhen is a medium-sized, dark grey-black water bird with a white undertail. Bill and forehead shield are primarily red with a yellow tip. They often live alongside birds in the same genus, such as the Tasmanian nativehen and the common moorhen. One parent would have a couple of chicks with it , whilst the other stayed in the reeds with the remaining chicks. One day she happened to be out feeding so Peter took a sneaky look in her nest, very excited, he saw a clutch of six mottled eggs. Eventually I guess they will move on , but hopefully we will watch another family next year. Young birds are much duller and browner than adults, with a greenish bill and face shield. She caught him red-handed and came screaming towards him, so fast it looked like she was treading water. Don't worry we hate spam, and we promise to only send out emails worth reading. Dusky Moorhen One of our common water birds here in Australia is the Dusky Moorhen, shown in the photos on this post. Dark waterhen with white edges to the under tail. Unsubscribe any time! There just happened to be a female Dusky Moorhen sitting on her nest. Taken with Canon 80D, Get better wildlife photos with a Photographic Hide. Each day he would drive past and she would be glued to her nest. It occurs in India, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Indonesia. Occasionally the neighbour’s cattle would walk through the creek and the Dusky Moorhen mother-to-be would successfully chase them off. Subscribe to hear about more cool stuff and any upcoming competitions and other cool stuff. One thing we observed was that once the chicks started coming on to the bank to feed . Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha, Queensland, Australia. Unfortunately only one chick has survived. Whilst driving down his driveway, Peter Theilemann, a Land for Wildlife member at Calvert, noticed a perfectly constructed nest in a clump of sedges. Your email address will not be published. Nesting Dusky Moorhens Whilst driving down his driveway, Peter Theilemann, a Land for Wildlife member at Calvert, noticed a perfectly constructed nest in a clump of sedges. Your email address will not be published. Dusky Moorhens swimming in the lake. Like what you see here? As the dam is close to our front door we are quickly alerted to any danger and have on occasion had to intervene when a chick has gotten scared and scattered only to find itself lost. It is often confused with the purple swamphen and the Eurasian coot due to similar appearance and overlapping distributions. Over the next few days, her eggs hatched and the little chicks started learning the survival ropes. Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) chick swimming on a pond. Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 1/640sec | f/8 | ISO 800 | 750 mm (effective focal length) Sadly they’re often the first to be exterminated by humans when they eventually get there. All but two surviving wedge-tails , hawks and other predators as well as living close to a major highway. What To Observe; When and Where; More Information; Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa. It has a red bill with a yellow tip and a red facial shield. Juvenile and non-breeding adult may be confused with other species due to their less colorful bills, which may appear primarily dark. With help it has soon been reunited with mum, dad and siblings. Colour: Dark grey to black with a yellow-tipped red bill, red frontal shield, red legs, white undertails. This species is found throughout eastern and southern Australia, as well as south western Australia. Learn about Australian birds and see what it takes to get the number one bird photos! Stephani Grove, Land for Wildlife Officer, Ipswich City Council. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The birds shown in these photos were swimming in one of the ponds in Adelaide Zoo. Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) chick swimming on a pond. Appearance. Property Profile: Pioneering Conservation near Childers, Looking back on 17 years of Land for Wildlife South East Queensland. Full list of Australian birds and images from leading bird and wildlife photographers. It has been a great journey for Peter and a challenge to sneak up to the nest without disturbing the moorhens to take these photos. Dusky Moorhen (size: 35 - 40 cm) by G. Miles; Dusky Moorhen and chicks by Marj K. What Is It? Pete is aware of large eels in the waterway and he is sure that at least one of the chicks fell victim to these eels. Over the weeks and months they grew nicely. The Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa is a member of the rail family (Rallidae), a huge group of both land and water birds that are often among the first species to occupy islands. There just happened to be a female Dusky Moorhen sitting on her nest. We have been lucky enough to observe a family of Dusky Moorhens growing up in the reasonable safety of our dam. When we first spotted them there were 7 tiny black chicks plus mum and dad. Juvenile Dusky Moorhen just starting to look like an adult; note the inconspicous colours of the bill and the absence of a facial shield (in the foreground a juvenile Australasian Grebe) [ Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2011] Near-frontal view of a juvenile Dusky Moorhen [ Mother of … Each day he would drive past and she would be glued to her nest. Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha, Queensland, Australia. We have found them to be very cautious birds but still happy to come up for a feed each morning and evening. Required fields are marked *. © Copyright 2018 - Best Bird Photos Australia | Website Design by, https://galleries.mmpi.biz/Galleries/Birds/Australian-Birds-By-Species/Dusky-Moorhen/i-TGfdpwn/A, https://www.facebook.com/Photos-by-Wanda-299414960238272/, What Camera Gear to buy for Bird Photography, How to Get Your Garden Bursting With Birdlife, Ryan Caswell - Digital Marketing Strategist.