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Jim aka Jesper Schultz, Western Australia

@birdsofwa

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Born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Migrated to Perth 1981
Business Proprietor, retired
Published Author
Jenny née Jette Kobborg, my Danish muse and wife

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Prelude: #AustralianReedWarbler #HerdsmanLake #RewildPerth #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Australian Reed-WarblerScientific name: Acrocephalus australis gouldiDate of capture: 23.07.26 at 09:44 Status (IUCN Red List 2022): Least Concern Location: Herdsman Lake, Western Australia Image & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image _BOZ9910):This image was taken at Herdsman Lake Regional Park, off John Sanders Drive. Along the reeds of the lake shore at least two pairs of Australian Reed-Warblers were maintaining adjoining territories, and Little Grassbirds might have been there as well. In any case, at least 5 spunky, reddish little birds were flittering around, mostly staying within the reeds, but sometimes braking out into the open. To get a photo, the trick is to observe where the birds travel, and where they have to pass an open spot in the right light. Set up there, muster up some patience and take your shots in the fleeting moments of opportunity.Coming to check out the Australian White Ibis colony breeding there, I found them all present and correct, in spite of the recent fire. They were well into gathering nesting material, with some pairs already on the nest. A flock of at least 10 Straw-necked Ibis was there too, sometimes flying up from and returning to dive back down into the reeds far out from shore, indicating breeding preparations. Great Crested Grebes were around, and two Swamp Harriers came patrolling once in a while, one at a time.Equipment:Nikon Z9. Manual Exposure at 1/1600sec & f7.1 & +0.3EV. Auto ISO-1100. Metering: Matrix. HI ISO Noise Reduction ON /high), Type A. Focus Mode: AF-C; AF-Area Mode: Wide area AF, custom. Nikkor Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique:Standing on lawn, tripod set at waist height.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for TIF file, Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine work and the removal of some reeds.General:The Australian Reed-Warbler is a bird of vertical rushes and reed beds at freshwater wetlands; it is quite reclusive, rarely venturing out from the cover of reeds. The the Western Australian subspecies is named A. australis gouldi. by @birdsofwa

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2 days ago

Prelude: #CarnabysBlackCockatoo #SexualDimorphism #SecondaryPoisoning #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Carnaby's Black-CockatooScientific name: Zanda latirostrisDate of capture: 28.02.23 at 07:19Status (IUCN Red List 2022): EndangeredLocation(s): Yanchep National Park, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (♂ Image_BOZ5153):This male Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, given the time of year, has seen and end to the breeding season: All feathers look worn and somewhat dull and are damaged and split in some places; his bill has lost a part of its black colour, and his naked orbital skin around the eye has changed to a dark grey.22 July 2026. More on the ABC’s announcement of a Murdoch University study regarding worrisome slow poisoning of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos, might they eat contaminated grain:Paper published in January 2026 by (©)‘Science Direct.com’:‘Wildlife toxicology faces increasing threats from pesticide use yet the impacts on biodiversity remain unclear, as current toxicity thresholds often rely on laboratory data that do not reflect environmental exposure. Here we present a two-step methodology integrating ecotoxicology and movement ecology to investigate pesticide exposure in endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris). Using GPS telemetry and satellite tracking, this study identified pesticide exposure sites and quantified the likelihood and consequences of exposure. A total of 26 pesticides were detected in forage sources (agricultural seed), with 80 % of seed samples having one or more pesticides detected. The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) was exceeded for multiple pesticides. Results have highlighted the risks that granivorous birds face being exposed to insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in agroecosystems.’ Equipment: Nikon D850. Aperture Priority: f5 and 1/4000sec, +0.7EV; ISO-400.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique: Set up tripod at eye level on parkland lawn below the Yanchep Inn.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for cropping and TIF conversion. Subsequent general work done in Adobe Photoshop version 27.8. by @birdsofwa

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3 days ago

Prelude: #CarnabysBlackCockatoo #SexualDimorphism #SecondaryPoisoning #YanchepNationalPark #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Carnaby's Black-CockatooScientific name: Zanda latirostrisDate of capture: 21.04.19 at 08:57Status (IUCN Red List 2022): EndangeredLocation(s): Yanchep National Park, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (♂ Image_BOZ4173):21 July 2026. More on the ABC’s announcement of a Murdoch University study regarding worrisome slow poisoning of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos, might they eat contaminated grain:Paper published in January 2026 by (©)‘Science Direct.com’:‘Wildlife toxicology faces increasing threats from pesticide use yet the impacts on biodiversity remain unclear, as current toxicity thresholds often rely on laboratory data that do not reflect environmental exposure. Here we present a two-step methodology integrating ecotoxicology and movement ecology to investigate pesticide exposure in endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris). Using GPS telemetry and satellite tracking, this study identified pesticide exposure sites and quantified the likelihood and consequences of exposure. A total of 26 pesticides were detected in forage sources (agricultural seed), with 80 % of seed samples having one or more pesticides detected. The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) was exceeded for multiple pesticides. Results have highlighted the risks that granivorous birds face being exposed to insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in agroecosystems.’ Pictured is a male Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo that, given the time of year, has changed into breeding condition for the impending season: All feathers look fresh and his bill is black, his naked orbital skin ring around the eye converting to an intense red.Equipment: Nikon D800. Manual Exposure: 1/2000sec at f7.1; ISO-400.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique: Set up tripod at eye level on parkland lawn by Lake Wagardu’s old boat ramp.Post Processing:Adobe Photoshop 23.1 for PSD file and JPG conversion; all later general work in the JPG file done in Photoshop version 27.8. Topaz DeNoise. by @birdsofwa

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5 days ago

Prelude: #CarnabysBlackCockatoo #SexualDimorphism #SecondaryPoisoning #YanchepNationalPark #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Carnaby's Black-CockatooScientific name: Zanda latirostrisDate of capture: 05.07.20 at 10:08Status (IUCN Red List 2022): EndangeredLocation(s): Yanchep National Park, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Pair/image_BOZ3231):Just this week more news has arisen on the plight of our endangered Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, other than that of the freshly arrived bird flu threat: A Murdoch University study running for three breeding seasons has been published, finding that Carnaby’s of the Wheatbelt are exposed to grain containing ‘alarming levels of contamination by 26 various pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, found near seed spills at grain silos’. This according to The West Australian July 18th 2026.This contaminated grain might then be picked up by birds feeding near the grain silos, including Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos.I don’t know what effect this may already have on our Carnaby’s, but the setting does not augur well. If it’s anything like the DDT used when I was a young man in Denmark in the 1970s, then the birds might start laying thin-shelled eggs that will crack untimely under the incubating bird, thus loosing the one or two chicks.I will make it my business to find out more about this study asap.This image shows a pair of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoos that, given the time of year, I think are in the process of changing into breeding condition for the following season: All feathers look fresh, and the male’s bill is turning black, his naked orbital skin ring around the eye beginning to turn red. The female is the one with the grey-white orbital skin ring.In layman’s terms I would proffer that the male has a red eye (ring), the female a grey one.Equipment: Nikon D850. Manual Exposure: 1/640sec at f6.3 & +0.3EV; ISO-500.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique: Set up tripod at eye level on parkland lawn by Lake Wagardu.Post Processing:NX Studio for cropping and TIF, Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for general work. by @birdsofwa

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7 days ago

Prelude: #CarnabysBlackCockatoo #YanchepNationalPark #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Carnaby's Black-CockatooScientific name: Zanda latirostrisDate of capture: 19.02.22 at 07:44Status (IUCN Red List 2022): EndangeredLocation(s): Yanchep National Park, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (♀Image_BOZ4203):This image is one of many that I’ve taken at Lake Wagardu of Yanchep National Park. I believe that the flocks of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoos have dwindled over the years, their total number having been estimated by IUCN to around 34.000 in 2022. By early 2026 they were still at Yanchep, numbering in their hundreds at that site, if not more. Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is endemic to WA and endangered at that, due to loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by man’s activities over many decades. As late as 2010 these cockatoos used to come in my garden in Suburban Kelmscott in small flocks during winter and spring, but these days I seem to see only Baudin’s here.Equipment: Nikon D850. Aperture Priority: 1/5000sec at f5.3 & +0.3EV; ISO-640.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique: Set up tripod just above eye level on parkland lawn at Lake Wagardu. As the birds returned to the parkland from their morning drink, many perched for a while in one of several chewed down trees.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for cropping and TIF conversion, Adobe Photoshop for general work and the removal of some twigs and finally halos around the bird.General:The Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo continue to cause concern. Though still common on the Swan Coastal Plain of Western Australia, flocks have become notably smaller, and as pairs are slow re-producers, the flocks have an increasing average age. This is a worry, as one day particular flocks may be too old to reproduce though still alive and well. If the trend is not reversed, the species will slowly die out. Breeding in inland areas with an annual rainfall from 300 to 750mm and feeding on Kwongan vegetation, it is thought that habitat loss and lack of nesting tree cavities is causing their slow extirpation. by @birdsofwa

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10 days ago

Prelude: #SpottedPardalote #YanchepNationalPark #TheBirdsinMyLife Popular name: Spotted PardaloteScientific name: Pardalotus punctatus punctatusDate of capture: 05.07.20 at 11:01Status (IUCN Red List 2024): Least ConcernLocation(s): Yanchep National Park, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (♂/‘orig’. Image_BOZ3415):Two male Spotted Pardalotes were chasing a female around near ground level in Yanchep Park’s Botanical Garden, obviously with the view to mate. The female kept disappearing under a dense bush, popping up into the open now and again, which caused the males to display for her, striking up several different poses. This image is a re-worked one that I am re-posting, as I feel my post processing skills have improved enough to make a significant and meaningful improvement between the two images. In this version I have left in some of the green and flowering shrub that formed the centre of the action, as well as seeking to get more details in the dark areas of the bird. Finally I colour matched the bird to the images in ‘The Australian Bird Guide 2019’. Do note that this pardalote is the Western Australian nominate subspecies, Pardalotus punctatus punctatus, in which the throat is slightly yellow. I was set up under a camouflage net, photographing Splendid Wrens, when the trio of pardalotes came to ground, and I was able to enjoy their display, lasting perhaps 10 minutes, before they all flew away.Equipment: Nikon D850. Aperture Priority, f4 at 1/400sec; ISO-1250.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR lens.Gitzo GT3543XLS Tripod, Dietmar Nill gimbal head.Technique: Set up tripod rig low and kneeling behind it, while all covered up in camouflage netting.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for TIF File, Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine work and ‘background taming’. The image is otherwise much like the RAW file.General:The Spotted Pardalote is among Australia’s tiniest birds at just 60 mm and a mere 12 g. In Western Australia two subspecies exist; this is the orange-rumped nominate one, P. p. punctatus, which is a resident of the Eucalypt forested areas of the south-west corner of the state. by @birdsofwa

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12 days ago

Prelude: #YellowbilledSpoonbill #BibraLake #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Yellow-billed Spoonbill Scientific name: Platalea flavipesDate of capture: 14.02.20 at 07:23 Status (IUCN Red List 2024): Least Concern Location(s): Bibra Lake, Western Australia Image(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image OL_2142106):For Yellow-billed Spoonbills to congregate and forage near the floating bird hide at Bibra Lake, the water depth has to be just right. When so, young and adult birds may be found here in numbers late in the summer, and some adult pairs of the area may be breeding into autumn, as long as the lake holds water. Most years, this end of the lake dries out first, while water is still present in the other end, around the old bird hide. As the Yellow-billed Spoonbill is an opportunistic breeder, in years when conditions are just right for a prolonged period of time, Bibra Lake offers extended photo opportunities for the species.Equipment:Olympus E-M1X. Manual Exposure: 1/2000sec at f9; ISO-400.Olympus 300mm f4 IS Pro ED M.Zuiko lens.Velbon Neo Carmagne Carbon Tripod+Manfrotto Ball Head 498RC2.Technique:Standing crouched on the floating bird hide platform. Tripod at waist level, shooting slightly down on the bird.Post Processing:Adobe Photoshop (2021) for TIF conversion, routine and selective work performed in the 27.8 version. Topaz DeNoise.General:The carnivorous Yellow-billed Spoonbill is mostly found at freshwater lakes and wetlands with shallow water, but it can utilise nearly any body of water, as long as it is fresh; it rarely uses saline habitats. True to this, you may find it feeding in a roadside ditch holding only little water or it might hang out at a farm dam. Often, you might find the waterbird in flooded pastures in the spring. The species has a large, spatular bill filled with nerves at the end, allowing the bird to search for food by touch. When foraging, it will typically stick its bill down in water up to eye level and then sweep its head from side to side, like a gold fossicker with a metal detector. When it hits upon prey, it quickly pulls back up its head and flicks the neck to adeptly swallow the morsel. by @birdsofwa

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16 days ago

Prelude: #MagpieLark #ErskineLakes #TheBirdsinMyLife Popular name: Magpie-Lark aka PeeweeScientific name: Grallina cyanoleuca Date of capture: 26.01.20 at 06:40 Status (IUCN Red List 2018): Least Concern Location(s): Erskine Lakes, Western Australia Image(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image OL_1298002):This pair of Magpie-Larks was photographed against a clear blue sky; this gave the camera all sorts of problems with regards to exposure. However, I think I managed to balance the image well enough in post processing, but a time consuming task it was; especially the manual removal of halos by use of the clone tool was cumbersome. The capture is one of many hundreds of worthy images I have sitting in ‘Later Posts’ = ‘old age’ for reason of demanding post processing needs. The female bird is on the left with the white forehead, and the male is the one spreading his wings during vocalisation, to impress.Equipment: Olympus E-M1X. Manual Exposure: 1/1600sec at f9; ISO-400.Metering Mode: Spot.Olympus 300mm f4 IS Pro ED M.Zuiko lens + MC-14.Velbon Neo Carmagne Carbon Tripod+Manfrotto Ball Head 498RC2.Technique:Walking around with camera rig shouldered when spotting the birds. Tripod set up as high as possible in the open.Post Processing:Olympus Workspace for cropping and TIF conversion. Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine and selective work.General:The Magpie-Lark is common and found in most of mainland Australia; it is vagrant in Tasmania. The species has benefited enormously from agricultural pastures and has adapted extremely well to an urban lifestyle. Though it’s similar in colour to the Australian Magpie, the Magpie-Lark is neither magpie nor lark, but is classified in the Monarchidae (monarch flycatchers) family. Magpie-Larks are predominantly carnivorous but do eat some seeds. Extremely aggressive defenders of a territory, they are very versatile in choice of habitat, just needing some bare ground to forage on, some mud and a nearby tree or structure for their bowl-shaped mud-nest. The species displays distinct sexual dimorphism and a pair generally mates for life, often raising broods of 4 or more several times a year. by @birdsofwa

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17 days ago

Prelude: #Whimbrel #PointPeron #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: WhimbrelScientific name: Numenius phaeopusDate of capture: 25.02.20 at 13:42Status (IUCN Red List 2024): Least ConcernLocation(s): Point Peron, Western AustraliaImage(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image OL_2255998):Approaching the barrier wall separating a tourist outlook from the limestone rocks and ocean below, I spotted a lone Whimbrel foraging near the waves breaking in over the rocks. Though plenty of people were around, the bird seemed unfazed and never stopped hunting. I hastily found the lowest point on the rocks from where I could safely operate, and for 25 minutes I was able to follow the bird with the camera from my position while it carried on foraging. The Olympus with its 1.4X Teleconverter gave me a focal length of 840mm in 35mm terms and allowed me to keep the, for me, unusual bird quite large in the frame. Equipment: Olympus E-M1X. Manual Exposure: 1/800sec at f6.3; ISO-500.Olympus 300mm f4 IS Pro ED M.Zuiko lens + MC-14.Velbon Neo Carmagne Carbon Tripod + Manfrotto Ball Head 498RC2.Technique: Hastily set up tripod low on rocks above the bird.Post Processing:Olympus Workspace for a crop and TIF file, Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine work.General:The Whimbrel is a dark curlew of medium size. Visiting Australia each summer from their northern hemisphere breeding grounds, it can be seen along most sheltered coasts but for the coastline of the Great Australian Bight. Breeding takes place in the tundras of Siberia and Alaska and across much of subarctic Eurasia, the southernmost breeding grounds being Scotland. Arriving in Australia in late August, the Whimbrels wintering here leave again in late April. While in Australia, they forage by probing for worms and molluscs in sand or mud as well as grabbing crabs straight from the surface. Predominantly seen foraging on intertidal mudflats, in mangroves and in estuaries, they also hunt on sheltered coastlines for insects and crustaceans among rocks and coral, and they catch fish and crabs from rock pools, too. It is thought that Australia’s Whimbrels primarily breed in Alaska. by @birdsofwa

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20 days ago

Prelude: #BlackshoulderedKite #WoodmanPoint #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Black-shouldered KiteScientific name: Elanus axillarisDate of capture: 25.02.20 at 09:13 Status (IUCN Red List 2024): Least Concern Location(s): Woodman Point, Western Australia Image(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image OL_2255342):I encountered this Black-shouldered Kite hunting from a favourite perch. It was not particularly worried about my being there, but then again I was some distance away, having mounted the MC-14 Teleconverter on the Olympus camera. This gave me a 35mm equivalent focal length of 840mm with the 300mm f4 Olympus lens. I spent quite a while in the one and same spot, while trying to deal with strong winds and the high contrast situation that gave the camera all sorts of trouble. I did manage a handful of decent captures, this being one of those.Equipment:Olympus E-M1X. Manual Exposure, 1/1600sec at f.6; ISO-250.Centre Weighted Average Exposure Mode.Olympus 300mm f4 IS Pro ED M.Zuiko lens + MC-14.Velbon Neo Carmagne Carbon Tripod + Manfrotto Ball Head 498RC2.Technique:Spotting the bird from my vehicle, I set up my tripod high to the rear of the car, partly hidden, but the raptor was well aware of my presence just the same. Post Processing:Olympus Workshop for TIF file. Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for a mild crop, followed by routine work and some balancing of shadows and highlights.General:The Black-shouldered Kite is of modest size and reported from most of Australia. Having benefited from man’s agricultural practices and preferring open habitats, it’s often seen hovering over freshly worked-over fields. When hunting, wings fluttering, it will abruptly ease into a glide with upswept wings if no prey is spotted below. Equally, it likes to sit patiently on an exposed perch, looking for prey on the ground. When a small animal is spotted, it will swoop down to grab it with the sturdy talons. Feeding mostly on small rodents, it also takes small reptiles and grasshoppers. The kites form monogamous pairs; both sexes participate in collecting nest material, but the female carries out most of the incubating and raising of the fledglings. by @birdsofwa

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25 days ago

Prelude: #NankeenNightHeron #HerdsmanLake #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Nankeen Night-HeronScientific name: Nycticorax caledonicusDate of capture: 23.06.08 at 09:30 Status (IUCN Red List 2024): Least ConcernLocation(s): Herdsman Lake, Western Australia Image(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image BOZ_1896):For those of you using an older type DSLR, I take it upon myself to demonstrate that these did, and still do, produce excellent results even for birds in flight; the only setbacks are that details are less pronounced and harder to recover in case of incorrect exposure due to the much smaller file sizes. The practical effect of this is that you get much fewer ‘keepers’, but those you do get are certainly good.In the years 2008 and 2009 an irruption of Nankeen Night-Herons happened in Perth. At Herdsman Lake Dozens of pairs colony bred in swamp paperbark stands of one or more of the small bays, and for quite a while, adults and youngsters alike kept returning to roost in the treetops after hunting. Occasionally, if frightened, several dozens of the birds took to the wing at once, which also gave rise to a spectacular sight. The challenge for the photographer came, when they flew back in to the roost. Getting images was then merely a question of being there at the right time of day.Equipment:Nikon D3 in Aperture Priority using 1/1000sec at f10 & -1.0EV; ISO-200.AF-C Dynamic Autofocus Tracking (9 points). Metering Mode: Matrix; In-Camera Sharpening +3.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4D IF-ED + TC-14E MkII. VR ’Off’ on lens (shutter speed more than 1/500 sec and so would not work).Manfrotto Article 055B tripod & Video PRO Art 136 tripod (modified) head.Technique:Standing upright on the bank of the lake.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for cropping and the TIF file. Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine work, including manual removal of slight halos.General:Known also as the Rufous Night-Heron the Nankeen Night-Heron is a small stocky heron with a mesmerising stare. The heron is active throughout the night, but it will also venture out to hunt in broad daylight and full sun, if it has a demanding brood in the nest and is pushed for food. by @birdsofwa

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a month ago

Prelude: #DuskyMoorhen #HerdsmanLake #abcPerth #BirdsofPerth #RewildPerth #BirdLifeWA #TheBirdsinMyLifePopular name: Dusky Moorhen Scientific name: Gallinula tenebrosaDate of capture: 23.06.08 at 10:42 Status (IUCN Red List 2025): Least Concern Location(s): Herdsman Lake, Western Australia Image(s) & text by ©Jim SchultzImage Narrative & data (Image BOZ_1969):It was the time of the year, when Dusky Moorhens start to pair up. I caught this bird in hot pursuit of another moorhen during this process. In spite of the slow shutter speed, the image is quite well frozen, the flapping wings showing a degree of motion blur that creates a certain feeling of speed. I performed many, many exposures during the morning with the 1.4X teleconverter on the 500mm lens, before I finally got this one caption, in which all parameters jelled satisfactorily.Equipment:Nikon D3. Aperture Priority: 1/800sec at f5.6; ISO-200.Nikkor AF-S 500mm f4D IF-ED lens + TC-14E MkII.Manfrotto Article 055B tripod/Video Pro Art 136 tripod (modified) head.5200211Technique:Standing on the viewing platform by the Wildlife Centre.Post Processing:Nikon NX Studio for cropping and TIF conversion, Adobe Photoshop 27.8 for routine work and manual halo removal. Topaz Sharpen Ai.General:The Dusky Moorhen is widespread in Australia, and can be found in the smallest of dams and water holes. The species forms breeding groups that communally may look after more than 10 chicks at a time, but mortality among the chicks is high. Particularly the Nankeen Night Heron is a keen predator of the chicks but other herons, raptors, egrets and snakes weigh in, too. Young chicks have a vividly coloured head and bill, but as soon as the downs are replaced by feathers these colours fade away. During the breeding season of the warmer months, the temper as well as the facial shield colours in both sexes of adult Dusky Moorhens become more vibrant, and breeding groups turn extremely territorial. Out of breeding season the species is quite peaceful and gregarious. The Dusky Moorhen is a large rail and an omnivore that will even eat carrion. Foraging in the water it will not dive; it also forages on land. by @birdsofwa

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a month ago