Coot face

It came right at our feet, so I had to oblige with a close up shot. The red thingy is apparently not a third eye but a “frontal shield”. A lot of bird species have them, in various sizes and shapes. They serve for protection, mate identification, and / or sexual selection.

   29 January 2022
   ILCE-7M3
   1/320s    f/5.6   300mm   ISO 800
American coot face