Purple Gallinule chicks hatched at Paradise Park!
Little ‘big feet’ chicks hatched!
Staff at Paradise Park are delighted to see three Purple Gallinule chicks hatch.
Director Alison Hales explains “These birds have remarkably large feet. They are members of the rail family, their other name being the Purple Swamphen, which gives a clue to where their long toes prove useful. They are able to walk on floating vegetation, and clamber across reeds and swamps. They also use their feet to grab young shoots and bring the food towards their beak. Their diet is mainly leaves and shoots, but they will also take snails and even eggs from the nests of other water birds.”
“They are a couple of weeks old and are very active little chicks. They can often be seen following their parents around begging for bits of food, then snuggling under their feathers to keep warm.”
Watch the video here: