Search

White-breasted Waterhen moulting

on 1st December 2010

“We are all familiar with adult White-breasted Waterhens (Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus) and the small black chicks they have. I saw this bird, adult sized but with plumage that appeared to be moulting (above left). I have not seen White-breasted Waterhens moult in all my years of watching.

“I considered whether this was a ‘skin’ disease where it had lost feathers and there were re-growth, but the beak looks immature (posting an adult for comparison in – above right). So I suspect this is an immature moulting into an adult.

“…for comparison, the plumage of a younger immature bird taken in October 2008 (left).

“Supports the idea that the bird is moulting into its slaty grey upperparts.

“Any opinions?”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Limestone Hills Outskirts of Ipoh City, Malaysia
10th October 2010

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

2 Responses

  1. It seems very unusual. The bill colour and the colour of the uppertail coverts seems to suggest immature plumage. However, it is not normal for birds to shed ALL the flight feathers at the same time! The picture of the younger immature bird shows the browner juvenile primaries.

    I do not know the moult strategy used by this species but it would normally moult the feathers from the outside inwards (or in the reverse direction), and only two or three feathers should be in growth at any moment in time. I wonder, could it have been an escaped captive bird, whose wings had been clipped?

  2. That looked like a clipped wing to me. Very positive suggestion as we all know the avian species do not moult flight feathers all at the same time.

Leave a Reply to Haniman Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives

Overall visits (since 2005)

Live visitors
822
20419
Visitors Today
51793546
Total
Visitors

Clustrmaps (since 2016)