Observed around 8 individuals slightly further away to the lake edge than I would have preferred [Note to self : carry binoculars]. This could be due to the human activity (walking/jogging) along the banks of the lake (this path has recently been converted into a walk-way, and does attract quite a few people out for an evening stroll).
Feeding
Most of the individuals observed were feeding, by walking on what looks like water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and picking at the base of them every 10-15 seconds. Every few minutes, they would also casually look around to ensure no predator, nor competitor was around.
The water body is pretty much covered at this point with some aquatic plant or the other. Two seem to be the most abundant. One is a water hyacinth. Unsure about the other one. Will post pictures in future posts.
Groups
Most of the birds were in pairs or groups of three. Occasionally, another bird would come close to the group, only to be chased away, without too much effort. While the behavior did seem like territorial fights, will need to observe for longer sessions.
Other birds
Noticed three other types of birds sharing the space with the Purple moorhens. These were:
- White-breasted waterhen
- Pheasant-tailed Jacana (in breeding plumage)
- Common coots
While the white-breasted waterhen seemed solitary and was inconspicuous for the most part, the pheasant-tailed jacana did seem more bold, and was out in the open, similar to the purple moorhens, feeding.
Incident
I did see a open wing dance (can't describe it any better) by one of the birds. One bird that flew into a group of two feeding individuals opened it wings halfway, bent it head downwards and did a 3-4 feet of dashing behavior. The reaction by the other two was to scatter around and make few grunting noises. They seem very disinterested in the whole incident, and all three of them went back to feeding right after.
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