More good news about the critically endangered Parera (NZ Grey Duck)

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Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Parera pair on Wharemauku 28 April (male front)

We noted during our trip to the Abel Tasman National Park how male mallards appeared to be exiling any male without a green mallard head from their cabals. The females, to  general male consternation, follow these males, though this doesn’t stop the mallard behaviour. This observation  received more backing in developments over the last month at the Wharemauku creek. 

Mallard Parera flock Raumati Beach March 10 2014

A flock of parera/mallard ducks gather on the banks after fledging in March. Here a socialising occurs during which they gradually pair up. This photo is from March 10, in which a fair amount of flirtation and the accompanying jostling had already started up.   

Now this flock has divided into two blocks. The mallards with their females collecting down the Alexander Rd bridge end (where they can sometimes scam a feed from the local humans); while the parera have taken on a separate identity further down the creek. They are behaving like separate hapu (extended family) and while obviously pairing off within the group, they were still keeping to their separate groups of around ten birds.    

Parera foraging on Wharemauku April 28 

The parera were more wary of human approach and showed more self-sufficiency in foraging for food along the creek bank. They all had features that identified them at the parera end of the species spectrum. There were no green heads, while their legs were predominantly brown and then they had greenish speculum under the wing. There was still however mallard blood flowing through their veins.

And here’s something else – there were more females than males in this parera group, a gender imbalance that was reversed amongst the mallards. Which rasies the question of whether the females (including mallard females), actually prefer these ‘snaggy’ males to the more aggressive mallard males?  Which raises a further intrigue. Are we looking at the birth here of an entirely new species, that may exhibit  the more attractive character of both? (Male Parera are much better Dad's)

Parera mallard pair standoff on the Wharemauku creek

These birds are still very mobile, flying around this area during the day. This in-flight manoeuvring seems to be a part of their courtship routine, though this week it will fly them straight into the sights of duck shooting shotguns. The season is about to start and it remains a conservation outrage that these critically endangered birds can be legally shot in season. Last year we observed a group of about 16 of these birds. It was reduced to 3 pairs by the end of the season.

Track we were listening to while posting this is Cole Porters 'Ev'ry time we say goodbye' from Simply Red (1987)

Ev'ry time we say goodbye I die a little

Ev'ry time we say goodbye I wonder why a little

Why the Gods above me who must be in the know

Think so little of me they allow you to go 

Jill Studd's blog

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