MissLissa
Avid Member
His name is Pigwidgeon. He is an American Coot that I am caring for overnights for the local wildlife rehabilitation center over the next week or so. He currently needs feeding every 30 minutes from 4am to 10pm. Coots don't pick up eating on their own for 4-7 days, so he requires handfeeding until then. He makes adorable peeping sounds.
Apparently American Coot chicks are marked in reds, yellows and iridescent blues as highly ornamented chicks are more noticeable, and thus get more food from their parents. Mom and Dad also recognize individual chicks and each will favour certain chicks over others. Highly marked chicks may also be signalling that they are healthier than their less well-marked siblings, telling the parents that choosing it for special attention would be a good move. This little guy (or girl, can't tell) was found in a field beside a construction zone, without mom or dad in sight. He still has his egg tooth, so we figure he likely hatched last night or some time yesterday. We aren't sure if his parents abandoned him for not being beautiful enough, or if he just got lost somehow. In any case, we will be raising him and releasing him back into his natural habitat as soon as he is capable of surviving on his own.
He was quite and dehydrated when we first took him in early this afternoon, but now he is running all over his brooder, peeping madly. He is enjoying his Insectivore Diet, tiny pieces of mealworm, and blenderized duckweed.
Anyways, I figured the animal lovers on here might enjoy some photos.
Apparently American Coot chicks are marked in reds, yellows and iridescent blues as highly ornamented chicks are more noticeable, and thus get more food from their parents. Mom and Dad also recognize individual chicks and each will favour certain chicks over others. Highly marked chicks may also be signalling that they are healthier than their less well-marked siblings, telling the parents that choosing it for special attention would be a good move. This little guy (or girl, can't tell) was found in a field beside a construction zone, without mom or dad in sight. He still has his egg tooth, so we figure he likely hatched last night or some time yesterday. We aren't sure if his parents abandoned him for not being beautiful enough, or if he just got lost somehow. In any case, we will be raising him and releasing him back into his natural habitat as soon as he is capable of surviving on his own.
He was quite and dehydrated when we first took him in early this afternoon, but now he is running all over his brooder, peeping madly. He is enjoying his Insectivore Diet, tiny pieces of mealworm, and blenderized duckweed.
Anyways, I figured the animal lovers on here might enjoy some photos.
