Birds that have not reached NZ, but should

[Byrd]

I cannot understand you, and your 'explames' do not make any sense.

as I understand it, the scientific reasons that these species can or can't reach NZ is that pelicans eat fish so they can, black swans eat plants so they can, however while magpie geese and blue-billed ducks also eat plants they can't reach NZ because they always get eaten by sharks, specifically great whites and hammerheads which are well-known predators of geese and ducks. Black swans, by contrast, are not ever eaten by sharks because sharks are racist.

[Clinton9]

You are wrong I am NOT trying to annoy you. I NEVER made fun of members.

Hi members,
Can you please help SomesBirder as he may not understand so much about birds, etc their diets, ablities to fly long distances, flight pattens & speed, wing shapes, sizes, age.

Diets high in energy: seeds, fish, meat, insects, worms, pollens.
Diets: low in energy plants, grasses, fruits and leaves.

Whooper swans migrate between Iceland and Great Britian, their diet: water weeds, grasses and seeds. They planning their long migration to Britian, by feeding more often and their bodies take 4-5 weeks to build bodyfats, these swans are strong flier, with flight speed at 35-40k/m (Highest speed of 60k/m for ememeries only as being chased by female Golden eagles).
They feeding in mornings and in afternoon to evening and carry on into night during moonlet night.
They are very big birds, much bigger than our Black swans. They are capable of flying nonstop from Iceland, to Britian.
One Whooper swan flew from Scotland, to Iceland, but wind were strong, so it made a u-turn in flight, halfway between Iceland and Britian, then it flew back to Scotland. Then it stayed in Scotland for 4 weeks. A month later it flew well, to Iceland and landed in lake in Iceland. They can learn to flapping more slowly or gliding for short time, but their main flight patten is flapping all time when flying.
Female Golden eagles are bigger than male Golden eagles and are willing to catch Whooper swans and Mute swans in flight, for food.

[Clinton9]

A adult white-tailed eagle had been filmed, in Europe, chasing the male adult greylag goose which had damaged primaries in right wing, but goose flew well and fast, at about 60k/m, but eagle managed to got near the goose in flight, but goose made a sudden turn as eagle about to catch it, then eagle & goose flew fast to a flooded paddock. Then goose landed, then eagle dropped on goose, but goose shouted very loudly and threaten to bite the eagle, then eagle caught the neck of goose few times, but goose bite the eagle again, so eagle, with another white-tailed eagle landed near the goose. Goose remained in water near eagles, until it recovered and took off, flying fast, so no meal for two eagles that gave up chasing the goose.
Birds can fly fast, with damaged flight feathers, but their speed is lower when birds have few damaged flight feathers, than birds with undamaged flight feathers.

[boneywhitefoot]

teal fly so fast that if you miss them with a shotgun, you have to reload very quickly, that way you may get another shot as they come round the face of the earth a second time.

[Clinton9]

Grey teals can fly at 100k/m speed for long distance when chased by falcons, but normal flight is 40-50k/m.
Diet: seeds, plants, insects, worms, water plants. Size: same as race pigeon, bigger than Bar-tailed godwits.
Fat Grey teals can easily fly to NZ on their own, though it can learn to gliding when it feel tired, wing shape same as mallard, through little narrower. Grey teals had fast wingbeats, but their wing beats are slower than Blue-billed duck's wingbeats.
Wings of Blue-Billed ducks are shorter and narrower than Grey teal wings.
At top of speed the Grey teal and shoveller outfly the Blue-billed duck, when chased by falcons.
Blue-billed ducks cannot reach 100k/m speed and are more likely to be caught by falcons than teals.

[Byrd]

I'm interested in why blue-billed ducks "can't" reach NZ, when it is a fact that NZ had its own species of Oxyura which was closely related to the blue-billed duck and whose ancestors obviously came here from Australia. Oxyura species in general tend to be very good at dispersal. Look at ruddy ducks for one!

[boneywhitefoot]

those ruddy ducks and teals never glide when Im trying to get photos of them with my camera.
I still haven't got the definitive grey teal on the wing shot.

[Clinton9]

Hi Byrd,
Only obese Blue-billed duck can fly to NZ, proved the duck have thick bodyfat, and the duck were been lucky to eating the roots of water plants or huge numbers of seeds floating in water, for a month in a lake with no Saltwater crocodiles, and at same time, a same month, and lake had seaval crocodiles that migrated from other lakes, via flooded land, to the formerly crocodileless lake, enough to force the Blue-billed ducks to flying away, to look for smaller lakes.
Once the one duck or a pair of Blue-billed ducks then find themselves in a strong cyclone and end up flying across the Tasman sea. Once 1,500 k/m from Australia and with 1/4 of thick bodyfat, the ducks would find themselves feel light (due to less bodyfat), but feel little pain in overworked wing muscles, but they would still feel good enough to carry on flying until they see the land of NZ.
Then they would either carry on flying until they find a lake near coast, or land in seawater near shore, to have a sleep.
When they land in NZ, they had used all their bodyfats. Then they would sleep in middle of lake.

Teals & Ruddy ducks do not glide unless they feel tired after longer migration.

If Blue-billed ducks do eat insects in water, I would be wrong about Blue-billed ducks never come to NZ, since insects are higher in energies, than plants.

In USA, Rubby ducks have long migration, but have seaval staging lakes along migration rangles.
Blue-winged teals migrate from Canada & USA to southern South America, but they have seaval staging lakes along their migration rangles, through fewer than with Ruddy ducks.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

Everyone, please play nice and tone it down. I don't want to lock it, but that is a simple solution.

[Davidthomas]

If silvereyes can get blown to NZ i see absolutely no reason why Blue-billed ducks cant re-colonise New Zealand nor any Teal or Duck species for that matter due to their (relatively) large size and powerful flight.