Although nearly fully grown, this juvenile Hadeda Ibis still seeks a sense of security from its parent.

The parents of this Hadeda Ibis made their nest in a neighbour’s tree near our garden fence where they hatched and raised two chicks. We watched the youngsters grow up and learn to seek their own food, often in our garden. The young Hadedas remained with their parents for several months in a secure and ongoing relationship. It was not unusual to see the youngsters soliciting parental attention and reassurance long after they were able to forage for food independently. This photograph was taken early one morning in our suburban wildlife-friendly garden in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is posted in response to this week’s photo challenge with the theme “security”.

Posted by Carol

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Weekly Photo Challenge Security Click here to see images on this theme from other bloggers