Paradise Shelduck plumage

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
Jim Kirker
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:54 pm

Paradise Shelduck plumage

Postby Jim Kirker » Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:25 pm

At Koraha Reserve and later at Michael's Reserve Pond in Auckland this morning I saw two paradise shelducks I thought were immature males, each with an adult female. I looked at NZ Birds online and read that this plumage indicates a male moulting into eclipse plumage at the end of summer. If they are adult male paradise shelducks moulting into eclipse plumage is this unusually late ?
Paradise Shelduck 2.jpg
Paradise Shelduck at Michael's Park Pond 12/09/21
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Paradise  Shelduck 1.JPG
Paradise Shelduck at Koraha Reserve 12/09/21
Paradise Shelduck 1.JPG (606.1 KiB) Viewed 1333 times
Jake
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 11:53 am

Re: Paradise Shelduck plumage

Postby Jake » Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:18 pm

I've noticed a few drakes in the last year or so with varying amounts of white on their faces too. There's one that frequents Natureland Zoo in Nelson - apparently he's been in the area for years. Love to hear what others think. Knowing captive pigeons and ducks: they can develop white patches with age (Cayuga ducks in particular)
Jim Kirker
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:54 pm

Re: Paradise Shelduck plumage

Postby Jim Kirker » Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:22 am

I'm wondering if they are "intersex" the upper neck and head female and the rest male. There appears to be a sharp line in the place you would expect in a female between upper neck plumage and the typical male plumage elsewhere.

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/intersex-ducks
Finn Davey
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Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:38 am
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Re: Paradise Shelduck plumage

Postby Finn Davey » Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:38 pm

Hi guys

A paradise Shelduck's eclipse is a bit different from other duck species.

While other ducks eclipse from breeding to non-breeding plumage, adult Paradise Shelducks (and other shelduck species) keep the same coloured plumage throughout the year.

What your seeing here is a different sort of eclipsing. This is the transition between juvenile to adult feathers.

Juvenile Paradise Shelducks start of looking pretty much identical to an adult female. As they age they look more and more like an adult male until there is only a bit of white around the head.

After that, female shelducks will then start to grow their female adult feathers (going more brown in the body and white all over the head). The male's will grow their adult male feathers but may have a white eye ring for a bit longer, which will eventually change to black.
Jake
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 11:53 am

Re: Paradise Shelduck plumage

Postby Jake » Fri Oct 01, 2021 9:35 pm

Hmmm, I've only ever seen well-grown juvenile broods that look dark, like smaller, rough drakes with varying degrees of white on their faces. I can't ever remember seeing this female-esk phase. I'm just grateful for vocal differences tbh
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Male Paradise Duck - note the red around neck too - Seddon
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Juvenile female - Waikanae
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