BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN, AND BEYOND-

COMMON GALLINULE CHICK

BIRDIE BABIES PHOTO ESSAY

Enjoy this short photo essay of baby birds with a glimpse of how they may metamorphose into an adult! And, yes, I used metamorphose as a verb, but you get the “picture.”

PHOTO SLIDER and #1 Common Gallinule chick

COMMON GALLINULE, Gallinula galeata, Gallineta Frente Roja (Spanish)

Common Gallinule offers food to chick
Limpkin parent offers food to chick
Limpkin family swimming
Wood Stork chick
Wood Stork with chick
Killdeer chick
Killdeer chick has only one black band
Great Egret family

Great Egret older chick

PHOTO 10

Roseate Spoonbill chicks beg for food
Roseate Spoonbill with three chicks

Snowy Egret with two chicks
Male Tree Swallow brings insect prey to young
Tree Swallow siblings

AS AN EARLY SUMMER GIFT, EXPLORE NATURE TOGETHER WITH YOUR SIBLINGS, PARENTS, KIDS, GRANDKIDS, OR FRIENDS!

LIST OF SPECIES:

Each species is found in the US and are year round residents of the Yucatan Peninsula except the altitudinal  migrant/winter visitor Tree Swallow. Most also have separate winter migratory populations.

Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata, Gallineta Frente Roja (Spanish)

Limpkin, Aramus guarauna, Carrao (Spanish), Korrea (Mayan)

Wood Stork, Mycteria americana, Cigüeña Americana o Galletán (Spanish)

Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, Chorlo Tildio (Spanish)

Great Egret, Ardea alba, Garza Blanca (Spanish), Sak najoch bok (Mayan)

Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea ajaja, Espátula Rosada (Spanish),

Snowy Egret, Egretta hula, Garza Dedos Dorados (Spanish), Ka’an ook (Mayan)

Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, Golodrina Bicolor (Spanish), Kusam (Mayan)

REFERENCES:

Sal a Pajarear Yucatán (Guía de Aves), Birds and Reserves of the Yucatán Peninsula. A Guide to Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America

Cherie Pittillo, “nature inspired,” photographer and author, explores nature everywhere she goes. She’s identified 56 bird species in her Merida, Yucatan backyard view. Her monthly column features anecdotes about birding in Merida, Yucatan and also wildlife beyond the Yucatan.

Contact: all4birdies@gmail.com  All rights reserved, ©Cherie Pittillo

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4 comments

Cherie Pittillo June 8, 2022 - 9:39 am
I've got to admit that the first picture of the gallinule chick looks like a hair transplant!
J.+Dan+Pittillo June 8, 2022 - 12:16 pm
I was always fascinated by the chick's fuzzy head, whether it is yellow domestic fowl or the brown stripe across a quail's head. It appears all chicks start out with fuzzy head feathers, even including the Wood Stork's bare headed parent feeding its fuzzy headed chick. I wonder: is the fuzzy feathers serving some function with temperature or visual recognition of parents?
J.+Dan+Pittillo June 8, 2022 - 12:18 pm
I was always fascinated by the chick's fuzzy head, whether it is yellow domestic fowl or the brown stripe across a quail's head. I wonder: is the fuzzy feathers serving some function with temperature or visual recognition of parents?
Cherie Pittillo June 8, 2022 - 7:47 pm
Dan, it's probably for insulation as you suggested. And perhaps some recognition.
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