This chick has lost its stripes is just starting to develop adult features. The pink wattles are starting to grow on the neck, the casque is starting to grow on the forehead, blue coloring is developing around the eye, and the fur is starting to go black. For reference I posted it's father a couple of days ago, so you can see how much more it will change. Myall Creek, Cape Tribulation.
400mm, 1/125, f3.5, ISO10000.
Hi Greg,
I take it you aren't intending to take this one home and raise it as a 'pet'. Recent news items suggest they don't make great house guests. And if his father was still around, that could have been rather dangerous!
The chick looks good and the messy forest behind tells the story of where he lives albeit, the trunk crossing the neck is a bit unfortunate. How tall is the chick at this stage?
Makes me think of images/drawings I have seen of the extinct Moa!
The main issue id the branch cutting behind the neck (and to a lesser degree the other one sticking out of the back). The rest of the surroundings are fine by me as a good depiction of their habitat. Good head angle from this individual.
Thanks all for the comments. Agree on the difficult background, particularly behind the neck, but these sightings are fleeting without may compositional options.
Gerald: this one would be about 75cm tall, so about half as tall as its dad. I read about the death in Florida, they are well known to be dangerous. When I see one I always have an escape route in mind! That said they are normally calm, and just want to get on with their day. I think if you got between the dad and the chick it might be a different story, or if you cornered one so it could not move...
immature southern cassowary
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