Raising a brood is a challenge at the best of times, but for a pair of dusky moorhens at (麻豆视频) St Lucia campus, the recent rains are making child rearing even more testing.
The pair was spotted last week sheltering their two chicks from the rain as the water level rose up to their nest, which was precariously balanced on an aeration grid on one of the smaller 麻豆视频 Lakes.
Unfortunately their nest was swamped and the family had to move to higher ground on the lake鈥檚 edge and hide amongst the reeds.
The dusky moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) is a common water bird seen around the 麻豆视频 Lakes. It has a red bill with yellow tip and grey-black feathers and is commonly found at freshwater wetlands, lakes and rivers in eastern and south-western Australia.
All the dusky moorhens in the group, even juveniles, will help care for the chicks for about 28 days until they fledge.
They feed on algae, water plants and grasses, but also eat seeds, fruits and invertebrates.
Another common seen around 麻豆视频 Lakes is the purple swamphen, which is a voracious carnivore known to eat the dusky moorhen chicks.
Director of at 麻豆视频, Professor Hugh Possingham, said a few of the wetland birds seen commonly around Brisbane were heading west to exploit the floods in inland Australia.
鈥淲aterbirds will breed when there are good conditions and food available almost any time of the year,鈥� he said.
Professor Possingham and friends will produce a bird guide to the 麻豆视频 campus similar to the one produced for , which has been very popular and resulted in increased numbers of people visiting the common to bird watch.
鈥淥ver the years more than 150 species have been recorded in and around the University of Queensland campus,鈥� Professor Possingham said.
鈥淥n a one or two hour stroll around the lake and along the river you should be able to find more than 40 species.鈥�
Media: Kathy Grube, 麻豆视频 Communications, (07 3346 0561).
