I have noticed a lot of these threads since I joined, but I think their fun and a good way to get to know people. So, whats your favorite species of duck? They are such a underrated animal in my opinion, and there are so many different varieties.
Whats your favorite species of duck?
- Thread starter CheeseChameleon1945
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As a child, no doubt it was Mandarin Duck, such a wonderful and unique appearance, and easily visible nowadays within a 30 minute walk. Nowadays, of those I have seen wild, Torrent Duck is at number one, and Harlequin at number two. Of those I have only seen in captivity, honourable mention to Scaly-sided Merganser. Of those I have never seen, Brazilian Merganser tops the list.
The famous Laysan teal:Laysan Teal or Albatross (leaning towards Teal, but not sure) - ZooChat
I like the Campbell Teal. Mostly because they are one of the few flightless species of ducks.
Such beautiful duck species. I recently saw the mandarin duck in the wild a little up north. The first time I have ever seen that species in the wild.
To be honest, I never really heard of the Campbell teal before, and I had to look it up! (I know. That's lame.) But I never knew a flightless duck was a thing! Really strange. Are they in captivity anywhere in the U.S.?
Three of the Steamer Duck species from South America are also flightless.
No it's not lame! I barely knew about them until recently! They aren't in captivity in the US, but they are in New Zealand near where they're native to. The 3 steamer-duck species that are flightless are Fuegian Steamer-Duck (Tachyeres pteneres), Chubut Steamer-Duck (Tachyeres leucocephalus), and Falkland Steamer-Duck (Tachyeres brachypterus). I believe Fuegian Steamer-Ducks are the only ones in captivity. AFAIK they're only in European zoos.
I would have to say my favorite species is the Steller's eider. I love their color patterns! And whenever I think about one, I always imagine cold wilderness, my favorite kind of environment.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
The one that comes from China, usually in a Plum Sauce...
Hilarious ! Made me laugh out loud with that comment.
Are there really still Campbell Teals in NZ if so where?
?The one that comes from China, usually in a Plum Sauce...
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I'll have to admit my ignorance on the subject of ducks as I dont know many of the species and I'm just not a birder. However, I do know that waterfowl typically are more threatened by anthropogenic activity than many other bird species and that there are consequently some very endangered species of duck out there.
So...I think that my favourite species of duck would have to be one of these critically endangered species. I suppose either the Brazilian merganser or the Madagascan pochard. I am rooting for the teams working in their conservation and of course I really hope they can bring them back from the brink of extinction.
There are currently a group of 4(?) Fulvous Whistling Ducks being seen around Poole Harbour and a small flock of some nine Ruddy Shelducks moving around South Dorset also.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
To see the Brazilian Merganser in the wild you need to go to the Serra da Canastra National park in the State of Minas Gerais which is one of the most beautiful protected areas in Brazil IMO.
There is a very strong chance of seeing other threatened Brazilian fauna here too and especially mammals like the giant anteater, maned wolf, pampas deer (and of course countless seriemas
). If you are really lucky you could even catch a glimpse of some of the more cryptic species like the pampas cat or the giant armadillo.A friend of mine runs ecotours to the park and one of these is a seasonal birding trip to try to observe the mergansers but I haven't done this yet as I am not very much of a birder. I have only really gone over to this park to try to spot the mammals and so far have got quite lucky with what I've managed to see there.
To see the merganser in captivity (not sure if it is on public display though or kept behind the scenes
) there is the Zooparque Itatiba here in São Paulo state which has a captive breeding program for the species.@FelipeDBKO knows much more about this program at this particular zoo and would be able to tell more.
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Sorry, Just didn't realize.