mottled head; green speculum bordered by black, white (Zoo; 2008-09-18)


Laysan Duck
Anas laysanensis

Native Range: Pacific Ocean Region

Notes: this threatened species is now confined in nature to ponds on Laysan Atoll, although it was formerly distributed throughout the Hawaiian Islands; on Laysan Atoll more than a century ago, introduced rabbits over-ate the vegatation and over-ran the island, reducing the number of ducks to just 7 remaining individuals in 1912; when the rabbits starved, the duck population recovered to about 600 individuals; wildlife organizations then established a nsecond population on Midway Atoll; little sexual dimorphism, although the breeding male (not shown here) does have a somewhat more greenish head.

grayish bill; motted brown plumage (Zoo; 2008-09-18)
pair; note the whitish eye-ring on speckled head (Zoo; 2008-09-18)