I crawled on my
belly at the edge of the water in Milford Sound to get close (~5m) to
this spectacular female New Zealand Shelduck (Tadorna variegata).
Sandflies gathered in their dozens to munch my skin, making me nervous
that I'd scare the birds away with each *smack*. My hands are still
itching! I've seen so many pairs of this bird before but have NEVER been
able to get so close.
This species is known as
'Putangitangi' in the language of the Maori people. Like the Australian
Shelduck, it nests in hollow cavities in trees, sometimes as high as 25m
in forests. The female has a pretty white head and gorgeous red-brown
plumage, complimented by a speculum (window on the wing) that flashes
green in the sunlight. The equally beautiful male bird (below) appears
mostly grey, however, the fine feathers on the back are intricately
marked with squiggles of black and white. Males such as this are known
to make large movements, with juveniles dispersing widely from their
natal area and sometimes settling in territories more than 100km away!
Who says ducks are boring!?
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