A baby Purple Swamphen hops around the lily pads, sticking close to the safety of her mother. But where is her little brother?

I love the baby birds’ tiny little wings. They look like little arms flapping about. At first, I thought that the baby had caught a frog. No, it’s just those little wing stubs.

But where is her brother? Another tiny little Purple Swamphen is lost amongst the reeds! It’s hard to see how such a tiny thing can find his way back to his mother and sister, so far away among the giant lily pads:

I don’t know whether these birds are male or female, so I’ve just picked pronouns at random. Both sexes of Purple Swamphens look after their young, and they’re hard to tell apart.

Mother might not have the most beautiful face, but she offers safety and comfort:

Will the little one find his way back? His sister gazes across the lily pads, as if searching for him:

At last, the wanderer spots his family and hurries across the lily pads. His sister greets him warmly, while mother looks on fondly:

Common name: Purple Swamphen
Scientific name: Porphyrio porphyrio
Approximate length of adult: 50 cm
Date spotted: 5 February 2025 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’35.4″S 151°14’49.1″E