Animals in New Zealand (3) - Paradise duck, true lovebirds | 詳細介紹紐西蘭的動物 (3) - 十分恩愛的天堂鴨

carinewhy (66)in #animals • 6 years ago

I my previous steepshot post, The road to Milford Sound (9) - duck family, I mentioned I saw a duck family in my way to Milford Sound. I did my research and find they have a beautiful name, paradise duck, let me tell you more about them!

在我上一個steepshot 帖提及我在去米佛峽灣的途中看到一家鴨子，我找了資料後發現牠們叫天堂鴨，好美的名字喔。讓我來介紹一下牠們吧!

　
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_shelduck)

Sometimes paradise ducks are misidentify as small gooses, actually they are big ducks. They are the only kind of shelduck in New Zealand. Paradise ducks are native species but not protected because of their high population. Different from other birds, female paradise ducks even look sharper than the male ducks. Male paradise ducks have black or dark grey bodies and black heads, while the female ducks have brown bodies and white heads. Both gender has brown tails and wing feathers in black, white and green colour.

天堂鴨會被誤以為是小的鵝，其實牠們是大的鴨。天堂鴨是紐西蘭的唯一一種麻鴨，是原生動物，但是因為數量眾多，沒有受到保護。跟大部分鳥類不同，雌性天堂鴨的外表比雄性更搶眼。雄性的天堂鴨的身體是黑或者深灰色，而頭部是黑的。雌性的身體是啡色而頭部是白的。無論雌性和雄性的天堂都有啡色的尾巴，羽毛有黑白綠三種顏色。

(http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/paradise-shelduck)

Paradise duck couples are very sweet and always stay together. They normally mate for lives but find a new partner if their original mates are dead. In 2016, the partner of a female paradise duck in Auckland Domain was missing. The domain staff tried finding a new mate for her.

雌性和雄性的天堂鴨常常出雙入對，十分恩愛。牠們大多數一生只會有一個伴侶，但是如果伴侶去世了牠們會找新的另一半的。2016年，奧克蘭中央公園一隻可憐的母天堂鴨的伴侶失蹤了。工作人員看著牠等著另一半很心痛，決定幫牠找個伴侶。

(http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/paradise-shelduck)

Paradise ducks build their nest mainly in ground depressions, sometimes in rock crevices, hollow woods and tree holes. Parents protect ducklings untill they can fly. The ducklings have brown and white feathers.

天堂鴨主要在下陷的地面築巢，有時候也會在樹洞、空心的木、岩隙築巢。父母會一同保護寶寶直到牠們會飛為止。天堂鳥寶寶的羽毛是啡和白色的。

(https://tikitouringnz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/breathtaking-aorakimt-cook.html?m=1)

Here is a video of a paradise duck family.

這是一段天堂鴨一家帶寶寶的短片

Paradise ducks are herbivores. They feed on grasses, clovers, aquatic plants, grains and seedhead. They are distributed widely all over New Zealand, you can find them on high land and low ground.