I went to some dried up wetlands today, where I found this animal. Does anyone know what it might be? It looks as if it has a beak. I didn't want to poke or prod it to have a closer look, it might have been alive and just been
asleep, might have been dead? Do you think it is a bird, or some other animal? The longer I look at it, it resembles a Grebe? Any ideas?
BTW, it was about 20cm long.
M-L
Looks like an echidna without the spines. Is that fur or feathers?
Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/
It looked like "neither" , could have been very soft feathers, (Grebe like), but I couldn't see a head, but that could have been bitten off or tucked under. I now regret not having poked it. I hope someone has any ideas?
M-L
It looked like "neither" , could have been very soft feathers, (Grebe like), but I couldn't see a head, but that could have been bitten off or tucked under. I now regret not having poked it. I hope someone has any ideas?
M-L
M-L I have sent your photo off to some more experienced wader/shorebird people and hoping they can make sense of the mystery critter.
Thanks so much Holly. Have you seen that I posted a close up of the animal under "is this a bird?" in Best photos? A good point made by someone was, if the bird (?) had it's head bitten off, or was dead, there would have been insects all over it.
You might also want to know where I saw it? The Jawbone Wetlands at Williamstown Vic (Melbourne)
M-L
Thanks M-L, will pass the location info on but even the experts seem stumped!
Maybe this is a new species, the Headless Chook Bird Gallus aramintacus.
Headless, wingless, legless, tailless, featherdusterbird.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
I'm on your side soakes, featherdusterbird.
M-L