PUKEKO Porphyrio porphyrio

These Pukekos or Swamphens are pretty common but I wanted to highlight their habit of using the claw as a hand for eating ! I often wondered if they were of the parrot family because of their use of the claw and the seed crushing beak/bill - but alas no ! they are not and are in the Swamphen and coot family ! the bill extends to the forhead acting as a shield.

'Malc' ( whose playing bowls now) always used to comicly refer to them as hotlips hooligan !!??

The claw is commonly used for eating and also for feeding their young by getting them to eat from it. Kinda cute really ?? I dont think 'Hotlips Hooligan' would be so motherly do you ??

rgds poo