Yes. Numbers of grey ducks are decreasing due to continued interbreeding with the introduced mallard. All hunting is over decoys on private lakes, ponds and grain fields. Competition and hybridisation has pushed the Grey Duck to a critical conservation status, with very few pure Grey Ducks in existence. . Since both sexes of the Grey Duck, as well as the female Shoveler, look similar to the female Mallard, only a ban on all duck-shooting will protect them. The native Grey Duck is classified as “critically endangered”. 45 Can grey duck (Anas superciliosa) x mallard (A. platyrhynchos) hybrids be recognised in the field? There might be a two-step extinction underway in New Zealand. We found a pair today on the pond at the back of Foxton Beach on Palmer Road. Grey Duck (Anas superciliosa) (Parera) Sexes are alike but both look similar to female mallards and have similar call. The male is grey and brown with a glossy green head, whereas the female has brown speckled plumage and looks very similar to New Zealand's endemic Grey Duck, but with orange coloured feet. If you’re singing “All by Myseeeeelf” into a hairbrush on Saturday night, you’ll need a pint or two of Duck Island ice cream to go with. … Sexes similar. In flight, it shows a green speculum and pale underwing. Winter wheat is the base for Grey Goose vodka, which is fermented and distilled in the Picardy region of Northern France, then the batch is brought south to Gensac-La-Pallue in the Cognac region to be blended with pure spring water. Until about 1960, grey ducks made up 95 per cent of New Zealand's dabbling duck population, but is now only 500,000 compared to the 5 million mallards. A grey duck and mallard duck hybrid. (1994) say their data "points to the eventual loss of identity of the grey duck as a separate species in New Zealand, and the subsequent dominance of a hybrid swarm akin to the Mariana Mallard." Adult has yellow eyes, breast spotted reddish chestnut. Ecological changes and hunting have also led to a decline of local species; for example, the New Zealand grey duck population declined drastically due to overhunting in the mid-20th century. Below is ZK-AKU at Wellington in 1949 from the Ed Coates collection. Grey ducks have a green speculum with black borders and a thin white band on the trailing edge only. The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand… “Hybridization, introgression, and morphometric differentiation between Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Grey Duck (Anas superciliosa) in Otago, New Zealand”. GREY DUCK The critically threatened grey duck Anas superciliosa superciliosa, also known as parera, is an endemic dabbling duck, the New Zealand subspecies of Pacific black duck. Mallards have a blue speculum bordered with thin black and broader white bands front and back. Food is obtained by 'dabbling', where the bird plunges its head and neck underwater and upends, raising its rear end vertically out of the water. Grey duck have become one of New Zealand’s most threatened bird species due to extensive hybridisation with the superabundant introduced mallard. The combination of New Zealand's liberal bag limits and our experienced guides will ensure you of a quality Waterfowl hunt. Prefers remote wetlands. In doing so you will help us understand what is going on with Grey Ducks in … All plumages are similar. There are three subspecies of Anas superciliosa: The New Zealand subspecies has declined sharply in numbers, at least in its pure form, due to competition from and hybridisation with the introduced mallard. The extent of hybridsation makes it very difficult to determine whether the bird in question is a ‘true’ grey duck, or a hybrid female (see online reference below to assist identification). Ducklings swim soon after the last one hatches and dries out. It is usually called the grey duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Maori name, pārera. Duck Identification Guide: All the Types of Ducks With Pictures When we think of ducks, we mostly picture the mallard ducks or those that are found in local ponds. Grey teal/tētē (Anas gracilis) originally came from Australia in the mid-19th century. This sociable duck is found in a variety of wetland habitats, and its nesting habits are much like those of the mallard, which is encroaching on its range in New Zealand. New Zealand Birds' Bird gallery links one to in-depth descriptions of almost all of New Zealand's endemic, native, introduced and extinct birds. Juvenile has dull grey bill and eyes, and fewer breast spots. Donate now to help protect our native birds. And then again in 1953 - Also from Ed Coates. Grey ducks are a wonderful waterfowl species that inhabit New Zealand. [8], The Pacific black duck is mainly vegetarian, feeding on seeds of aquatic plants. Post WWII this airframe became ZK-AKU on 30-08-1946 with the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NZNAC or just plain NAC) and was named Tawaka (Grey Duck). No. Brewing of the Grey Goose vodka is overseen by Francois Thibault, a cellar master in Cognac. [5] Rhymer et al. Grey teal/tētē. However, with a recent introduction of a close relative, their future in the country is questionable. MURRAY WILLIAMS 68 Wellington Road, Paekakariki 5034, New Zealand Abstract: Face, wing, bill, and leg characteristics of grey ducks (Anas. Ian is the Auckland Regional Representative for Birds New Zealand and has always been interested in the beauty and diversity of birds. The size range is 54–61 cm; males tend to be larger than females, and some island forms are smaller and darker than the main populations. The Auk 102 (3): 459–469. It feeds by upending, like other Anas ducks. They are most numerous in pastoral … The Black Swan can be another option if you are a trophy bird collector. [7] The main reasons for displacement of the grey duck seem to be physical dominance of the larger mallards, combined with a marked population decline of the grey duck due to overhunting in the mid-20th century. 6. Charlie Aramoana, Kaumatua of Upokerehe, the guardians of Ohiwa Harbour, remembers when the harbour was black with them. It was developed in 1972 by Lance Ruting in New South Wales, Australia, and named after his wife, Ann Elizabeth. One that truly resembles a Pacific Black Duck. There are 6 species of huntable Waterfowl in New Zealand. We work to save our wetlands through protection, funding, technical aid and education so that the flora and fauna of our most endangered ecosystem are a legacy we can pass down to future generations. This diet is supplemented with small crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. The most numerous duck before Europeans settled in New Zealand, it was harvested by Māori after the end of the breeding season, following strict protocols. The female is more plainly embellished with cryptic brown similar to female mallards and grey ducks. Robertson, Hugh A.; and Heather, Barrie D. (2001). The Grey Duck is similar to a female mallard ducks in appearance, and most birds now show signs of hybridisation with mallards. The Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. Like its relatives the mallard and American black duck, the Pacific black duck is one of a number of duck species that can quack, with the female producing a sequence of raucous, rapid quacking which decreases in volume.[4]. Grey duck now have a threat category of Nationally Critical, but amazingly they can still be hunted as a game bird! To Patrick Jean-Guay for the samples of DNA of grey duck, mallard and domestic duck needed for the molecular work once I realised that I could not rely on the purity of any samples taken in New Zealand. Also totally suitable for the regular non-heartbroken punter, you can find a range of our hand-picked favourite flavours in supermarkets and in store. About Locations Apparel. 53 cm; Male 900 g, Female 750 g. Blue-grey duck with a pale pink bill, tipped with black flaps. Hybrid offspring of Hawaiian ducks seem to be less well adapted to native habitat, and using them in re-introduction projects apparently reduces success. Vodka Seltzer Recipes TC Summer Jam About Locations Apparel Cart 0. In colouring it somewhat resembles the Welsh Harlequin, but it is a smaller, stockier bird. The grey duck has striking facial strips, a leaden grey bill & a green patch of colour (speculum) on its secondary flight feathers. Uniformly grey in flight. Mallards occur throughout all of New Zealand and on all vegetated subantarctic islands, Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands and extending to Lord Howe Island (where many are now hybrids with Pacific black duck = grey duck). It is pretty unusual to find a Grey Duck in New Zealand that is really "grey", and not a hybrid with a Mallard. This sociable duck is found in a variety of wetland habitats, and its nesting habits are much like those of the mallard, which is encroaching on its range in New Zealand. [9], Durack Lakes, Palmerston, Northern Territory, "Hybridization, introgression, and morphometric differentiation between Mallard (, "The ectoparasites of hybrid ducks in New Zealand (Mallard x Grey Duck)", "Mitochondrial analysis of gene flow between New Zealand Mallards (, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pacific_black_duck&oldid=986447864, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 October 2020, at 22:49. [2] It feeds by upending, like other Anas ducks. Once commonly found in wetlands and streams, and sometimes in estuaries until the 1950s, grey duck were the main quarry of hunters, comprising 95% of the country's dabbling duck population. Duck hunting guides provide private hunts for New Zealand waterfowl, including the beautiful Paradise Duck, endemic to New Zealand, plus New Zealand Grey, Mallard and Spoonbill ducks. These features separate this handsome native from the blue tinted speculum of the introduced mallard hens & scruffy hybrids. These features separate this handsome native from the blue tinted speculum of the introduced mallard hens & scruffy hybrids. It belongs to the Anatidae family of swans, geese and ducks, which is part of the Anseriformes order. Antique prints are used throughout to illustrate the birds. Duck, Duck, Gray Duck is a kids game, but Gray Duck Spirits are not. However, know that there are many types of ducks, and BirdEden categorizes them accompanied by their identification features and pictures to help you understand them well. Vodka Seltzer Recipes TC Summer Jam. Are you of legal drinking age? Occasionally, food is sought on land in damp grassy areas. Ducks Unlimited is New Zealand's leading wetlands and waterfowl conservation group. Nice white facial markings, dark bill and… It has a dark body, and a paler head with a dark crown and facial stripes. The Elizabeth duck is a newer arrival in New Zealand. Studies of their three species of parasitic feather lice support this prediction[6], It was assumed that far more mallard drakes mate with grey duck females than vice versa based on the fact that most hybrids show a mallard-type plumage, but this is not correct; it appears that the mallard phenotype is dominant, and that the degree to which species contributed to a hybrid's ancestry cannot be determined from the plumage. This species is widespread from Indonesia and Australia and eastward to New Zealand and much of Polynesia. Originally the primary target of duck hunters, the grey duck now comprises only 20% of the New Zealand duck population of 6 million birds. [3] It is not resident on the Marianas islands, but sometimes occurs there during migration. All duck species are in decline, including the abundant Mallard. There used to be literally millions of grey duck in New Zealand. Native grey ducks are going extinct due to interbreeding between these species. The now extinct Mariana mallard was probably originally derived from hybrids between this species and the mallard, which came to the islands during migration and settled down there. Beach, bush & birds, this Auckland day tour is a nature lovers dream, beachcombers paradise and photographers ideal playground New Zealand bird Tui Grey Duck Photo Gallery Home New Zealand Shovelers are the least abundant of hunted ducks, but possibly the most attractive. They tend to stay in or near rushes at the edge of ponds and lakes and like other Anas species, feed by upending. The Grey Duck is also known as the Pacific Black Duck, and can be found throughout New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, as well as many of the … The Parera grey duck is a good looking native that is being out competed by the aggressive introduced mallard. To the farmers and hunters of HariHari and Haast, who did not just tolerate my work, (Photo shows Elizabeth drake and duck.) Even in 1970 there were 1.5 million but now the numbers have shrunk to less than 500,000 nationwide. The male shoveler is New Zealand's most handsome duck, with variegated plumage, blue-grey head with a white vertical stripe between the eye and bill, a striking reddish-brown breast, and blue wings. The grey duck, New Zealand's endemic subspecies of Pacific black duck, is critically endangered but still hunted. Grey ducks are usually found in pairs. Also known as the Pacific black duck, the grey duck is native to New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and the southern Pacific. The grey duck has striking facial strips, a leaden grey bill & a green patch of colour (speculum) on its secondary flight feathers. They are Mallard, Paradise, Grey and Shoveler duck, Black Swan and Greater Canadian Goose. Cart 0. Scroll. D. 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