Last Thursday evening, as I walked along the trail leading to the hidden southwest entrance of the Sun-Dial Garden, I spotted a White-breasted Waterhen about to cross the path. To my delight, a tiny fluffy black chick followed closely behind.
The moment they noticed me, both were startled. The mother dashed across the trail and disappeared into the bushes. The chick, however, stumbled at the edge of the path and collapsed. It looked like nothing more than a small black puffball. Completely motionless, it appeared to be playing dead.
I quickly walked past the chick and concealed myself behind the bushes near the entrance. Standing still in the hot, humid evening air, I hoped the mother would return for her baby.
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| the fallen waterhen chick, playing dead |
From within the bushes, the waterhen began calling loudly—sharp, repetitive *ku-e* chirps. Rather than approaching the chick, she moved farther away, apparently trying to lure me away from it. I waited. The mother stayed hidden. The chick remained motionless.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
In reality, about twelve minutes passed before the adult waterhen reappeared. She crossed the trail again and entered the bushes near the chick. Soon, she began calling once more. Hearing its mother's voice, the tiny chick stirred, moving its head and fluttering its little wings.
I quickly started recording a video.
The mother stopped calling and appeared to check on her baby. After another two minutes, she chirped again and slowly walked out from the bushes. The chick stood up and began moving toward her.
Its effort was heartbreaking and inspiring to watch.
Every few steps, it lost its balance and fell. Using its tiny wings for support, it struggled back to its feet and continued forward.
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| (screen capture from my video) |
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| (screen capture from my video) |
White-breasted Waterhen chicks are *precocial*, meaning they hatch covered in down, with their eyes open and ready to move about almost immediately. They typically leave the nest within a day or two of hatching and follow their parents wherever they go.
The chick before me was likely no more than one or two days old.
As the mother started crossing the trail, the chick followed. It would dash forward two or three tiny steps while emitting faint chirps, then collapse from exhaustion. After resting briefly, it would struggle upright and continue.
At one point, the mother turned around and lowered her head, seemingly checking on her baby before continuing on. The chick resumed its determined effort.
After several bursts of progress, it had covered only about two feet when it fell hard onto its side. For a moment it lay there, kicking its legs. Then, with remarkable determination, it rolled itself upright and continued on.
The surrounding bushes began to block my view. Unable to resist, I stepped into the middle of the trail to watch the final stage of its journey.
Stand up. Walk a few steps. Fall.
Stand up again. Walk. Fall.
Over and over.
It melted my heart.
I watched until the chick finally crossed the trail and disappeared beneath a layer of fallen leaves under the bushes, safely following its mother.
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| final dash |
Observing that tiny fuzzy black ball on legs scrambling after its parent was one of the most endearing wildlife encounters I have ever witnessed. Its struggle, determination, and trust in its mother's call made an ordinary evening walk into an unforgettable experience.
Nature often reveals its greatest wonders in its smallest creatures.
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Note -
1. The post text was polished by chatGPT based on my original full length post:
chatGPT
This is already a charming story. Its strength is that it focuses on behavior and observation, allowing the reader to experience the event with you. I would improve it mainly by: tightening the narrative flow, reducing repetition, improving grammar and word choice, strengthening the emotional arc from curiosity → concern → relief → wonder.
2. My original post
White Breasted Waterhen and its Precocial Newborn
Last Thursday evening, I was on the trail to the Sun-Dial Garden's hidden southwest entrance, I saw a white breasted waterhen about to cross the trail, and was pleasantly surprised to see a fluffy black chick followed behind. Seeing me, they were startled, the mom ran across the trail into bushes. The chick fell at the edge of the trail, and looked really just a fluffy blackball, and stayed motionless, playing dead.
I quickly passed the fallen chick, and hided behind the bushes at the entrance, motionless in the hot humid air, observing the fallen chick, hoping the mom waterhen would go back to get the chick.
The mommy waterhen was making loud ku-e chirps in the bushes, and moving away, trying to lure me away from the chick. I waited for waterhen to return to the chick, the waterhen stayed away, and waited, it felt like forever!
It was actually about twelve minutes before the adult waterhen reappeared, and crossed the trail again, went into bushes, and was very close to the chick. It started making chirps again. Hearing mom's call, the chick started moving its wings and head.
I quickly turned on video recording on my phone!
The mom waterhen stopped chirping, and apparently checking its baby. Two minutes passed, it started chirp again, and walked out of the bush. The chick stood up, walking toward its mom, unsteadily, ever step of the way, it fell to the ground, using its wings to support, and stood up again...
The waterhen chicks are precocial. This means: 1) They hatch out of their eggs covered in fuzzy black down feathers with their eyes completely open. 2) They hit the ground running (and swimming) almost immediately. They typically leave the nest within 1 to 2 days after hatching to follow their parents around.
So this chick in front of me was about 1 or 2 days old.
As the mom started crossing the trail, the chick followed, now it spurted forward two to three steps while making faint chirps then fell, and then stood up moving forward again. It must be really tiring to this chick, after 2 spurts, it rested on the ground a bit, the mom turned around, and lowered her head to check on the chick, then walked forward without waiting. The chick stood up, started the spurts again. After several spurts, it covered about 2 feet distance, and fell hard on its side! It kicked legs, and rolled itself to stood up again.
The bushes branches blocked my view of the mom and chick. I walked into the middle of the trail, and continued to witness the chick's struggle, stood up, walked a couple steps, fell, stood up, walked, fell ...
It melted my heart!
I watched until the chick successfully crossed the trail, walked into the fallen leaves under the bush.
Observing the tiny, fuzzy "black ball" on legs is absolutely adorable to watch as they scramble after their parent. It is an incredible and endearing sight to capture in person.
3. Sundial Garden
