Pukeko Teenager

I was surprised this morning, to see two  good sized Pukeko chicks at the Sanctuary Ponds. They must have been from a very late sitting. The rich blue colour is starting to come on the chest and the face plate is present but not turned red as yet. Very ungainly with enormous feet,  the pair were still being guarded by the parents.

Pukeko are members of the rail family and are sometimes called swamp hens. If disturbed, they will often run rather than fly - their flight is  laboured and clumsy.

I have included an adult pukeko as an extra to show how the chicks will develop.