#rails

Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931)

National Park Harz Germany

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The first time I've ever noticed this species was when I saw them feet-fighting in the water. and it blew my mind. This behavior is a way of sparring for territory, apparently.

Here's some pics of birds with silly feet, because I love them.

More feet fighting pics can be found on the species' repository page:

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Where the rivers meander into huge wetlands and lakes in the lowlands the light is often blocked out by enormous floating mats of grass. These grass rafts are a huge, diverse habitat even with it's own endemic species of whale.

These rafts are hard to traverse as a small, terrestrial animal. But help comes in the form of a new clade, the rails! Not just one, but many species of these birds create a enormous network of paths, crossings and tunnels through the grasses. These are the railways, the main means for animals around here.

The water below are rather sparsely populated as their are low on oxygen making it hard for most fish to live here.