The Ugly Duckling

[Shyamala Kumar]

Nikon 7100+300mm 1/640s F/8 ISO200 .Benglaru outskirts,Nov2014 afternoon.The light was harsh.I sighted this odd pair swimming around together.This common coot seemed to have adopted this duckling which was certainly not of the same species.Nature is indeed full of wonderful surprises.Can any one identify the little duckling?

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice moment Shaymala. it is a common coot chick, although its looks very different now.... as you say nature is full of surprises.

TFS
Roopak

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice interaction captured between the mother and chick. Good eye contact from both. The chick does look quite different now. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The colour of the head looks quiet striking. I am not sure about the scientific reason for the colour to disappear into white when the chick grows up. For example, the Egyptian vultures engage in Coprophagy (eating faeces) of ungulates. So the brightly ornamental head of an adult egyptian vulture is coloured yellow by carotenoid pigments, and its practice of feeding on faeces. The juvenile Egyptian Vultures don't have the bright yellow pigmentation. The details of the paper is (Coprophagy: An unusual source of essential carotenoidsJ. J. Negro1, J. M. Grande1, J. L. Tella1, J. Garrido2, D. Hornero2, J. A. Donázar1, J. A. Sanchez-Zapata3, J. R. BenÍtez4 & M. Barcell4). So wonder what would be the reason for such a colouration of the head in the coot chick.

So much to learn. One life is not enough.....