Paradise Shelduck, Pūtangitangi
Tadorna variegataBird Songs
Information
New Zealand status: Endemic
Conservation status: Not Threatened
The paradise shelduck/pūtangitangi is a distinct duck often seen in pairs, becoming common to spot in sports fields and parks.
The male is uniformly dark grey or black while the female body is a dark or light chestnut. The male’s head is black with occasional green iridescence and the female’s head and upper neck is pure white. Both have a chestnut undertail, black primary wing feathers, green secondary wing feathers and a conspicuously white upper wing surface. The bill, legs and feet are dark grey/black.
