From Opus

Alternative names: (Maori) Parera, Grey Duck

Anas superciliosa

Photo by julien
Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia

[edit] Identification

Mostly mid-brown in colour, with buff edged feathers. There is a dark brown line through the eye, bordered with cream above and below and a dark brown crown. The upper wing colour is brown, with a bright glossy green patch in the secondary flight feathers. The white underwing is conspicuous in flight. Young Pacific Black Ducks are similar to the adults in plumage.

[edit] Distribution

Australia and throughout the Pacific region.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are three subspecies of Anas superciliosa: rogersi breeds in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia, pelewensis on the southwest Pacific islands, and superciliosa in New Zealand. 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.

[edit] Habitat

All types of water, from isolated forest pools to tidal mudflats.

[edit] Behaviour

These birds are seen in pairs or small flocks.

Its diet includes the seeds of aquatic plants, small crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. 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. Occasionally, food is sought on land in damp grassy areas.

Courtship is accompanied by ritualised displays including preening, bobbing and wing-flapping. This behaviour is often initiated by the female, and, other than copulation, the male helps little in the breeding process. Often, two broods will be raised in a year. The number of offspring produced may seem quite high, but only 20% of these will survive past two years of age.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID