From Opus

Photo by Leicaman
Christchurch, New Zealand, March 2008

Alternative name: (Maori) Putangitangi

Tadorna variegata

[edit] Identification

Male: black head, barred black body
Female: white head, chestnut body

[edit] Distribution

New Zealand: found on North, South and Stewart islands

Female
Photo by RoosterBrewster
North Island, New Zealand,

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Farmland, lakes, riverbeds, coastal lagoons, estuaries and urban parks.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Nests are built in high grass, lined with grass and feathers. From 5-15 white eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 30-35 days. The chicks fledge after 8 weeks.

[edit] Diet

Diet includes grass and clover, grass and weed seeds, and stubble or standing crops of peas or grain, and aquatic vegetation.

[edit] Vocalisation

Very vocal and the male call is a zonk-zonk…, and the female a shrill zeek-zeek.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Wikipedia
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links