Water bird Edinburgh Scotland (1 Viewer)

[TomMalcC]

Please can I get some help identifying this bird photographed today on a freshwater pond on the edge of Edinburgh near the estuary. Interesting eye colour when sleeping.

TomC

 

[Parryman1]

It is a young Moorhen

 

[RecoveringScot]

Please can I get some help identifying this bird photographed today on a freshwater pond on the edge of Edinburgh near the estuary. Interesting eye colour when sleeping.

TomC

It's a juvenile Moorhen.

 

[nartreb]

The white is the nictating membrane, a.k.a. third eyelid.

 

[Butty]

Nictitating

 

[nartreb]

Nictitating

Both forms are valid English. "Nictating" is a straightforward coinage from Latin, whereas "nictitating" is ... baffling. (The latter came along in the late 18th century, almost two centuries after the former.) But it seems "nictitating" is preferred by biologists, for reasons that escape me.