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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

NZ birds (1 Viewer)

Elizabeth Bigg

Addicted member
My son has just returned from the other side of the world (with our camera) and has emailed me this picture from work. He sent a me a copy while he was away, but it was only a cut down version.

It was taken on a river bank in Nelson (South Island). No doubt it is a very common bird over there, but can someone identify it for me?
 
Hi Elizabeth, a wild guess would be New Zealand Paradise Shelduck!

We saw them at Washington WWT on our last visit.

Cute shot!
 
Grousemore said:
Does a Female have an eclipse plumage?


I wondered that so looked on the web and apparently in the Paradise Shelduck it is the female that has an eclipse plumage. You learn something every day.
 
Hi Cuddy,

All ducks, both sexes, have an eclipse plumage, what matters is whether the eclipse plumage is visibly different to the non-eclipse plumage or not. But why NZ Paradise Shelduck's eclipse should differ more in females, I don't know.

Michael
 
It is indeed the female Paradise Shelduck, Tadorna variegata. widely distributed throughout NZ. The male and female plumages are totally different, the male being darkish overall and the female having the conspicuous white head
 
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