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Fulica atra
All-black and larger than its cousin, the moorhen, it has a distinctive white beak and 'shield' above the beak which earns it the title 'bald'. Its feet have distinctive lobed flaps of skin on the toes, which act instead of webs when swimming. It patters noisily over the water before taking off and can be very aggressive towards others.
Spotted in St James park in London.
Spotted on Dec 1, 2013
Submitted on Dec 1, 2013
6 Comments
Thank you for the lovely comments Jopy, ChiefRedEarth and Dilan. This little bird was very obliging and posed nicely for the camera! :)
Great spotting, staccyh! nice legs :)
Good spotting! Yes Staccyh me too would like to see its feet close. Thanks for sharing.
Nice spotting staccyh!!!
Thanks for the kind words Neil :) I would take all the credit, but these guys are so used to people feeding them that they almost walk up to you when they see you approaching. Their feet are really cool, will try to get a close up next time!
Nice spotting. We have a similar species here in Aust., but do you think I can get a decent photo? I've tried many times but they seem to be very shy. Their feet are amazing! Well done :-)