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Pacific Black Duck


Pacific Black Duck
Photo Information
Copyright: Ulla Kruys (uleko) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2369 W: 164 N: 7114] (22494)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-06
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Powershot Pro1
Exposure: f/8, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Australia [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-11-05 4:35
Viewed: 2385
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa

This charming duck was a common sight in New South Wales and we saw lots of ducklings everywhere.

"The Pacific Black Duck is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the Grey Duck or Parera in New Zealand.
This sociable duck is found in a variety of wetland habitats, and its nesting habits are much like those of the Mallard, which is encroaching on its range in New Zealand. It feeds by upending, like other Anas ducks.
It has a dark body, and a paler head with a dark crown and facial stripes. In flight it shows a green speculum and pale underwing. All plumages are similar. The size range is 54-61 cm; males tend to be larger than females, and some island forms are smaller and darker than the main populations. It is not resident on the Marianas islands, but sometimes occurs there during migration. The now-extinct Mariana Mallard was probably originally derived from hybrids between this species and the mallard, which came to the islands during migration and settled down there.
There are three subspecies of Anas superciliosa: rogersi breeds in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia, pelewensis on the southwest Pacific islands, and superciliosa in New Zealand. The New Zealand subspecies has declined sharply in numbers, at least in its pure form, due to competition from and hybridisation with the introduced mallard (Gillespie, 1985). Rhymer et al. (1994) say their data "points to the eventual loss of identity of the Grey Duck as a separate species in New Zealand, and the subsequent dominance of a hybrid swarm akin to the 'Mariana Mallard."
From Wikipedia
wallhalla15, anavazao, fthsm, horia, claudine has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Ulla, this is a picture with cute factor! Great sharpness, details, natural colours and great POV. This is a great composition. Thank you for posting.
Gr.
Heinz

hi friend!
Amaizing shot! Excellent POV and very nice sharp details! Take care Ana:)

  • Great 
  • fthsm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 135 W: 50 N: 368] (2212)
  • [2006-11-05 20:35]

Very nice photo of this cute family. It is good to see whole family because comparing is being easy. Chicks look like parents.
TFS Ulla.

  • Great 
  • Adam73 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 209 W: 5 N: 500] (2069)
  • [2006-11-06 11:18]

Nice photo of the black duck and its family. Colors, details and lighting are all pretty good. Nice shot.

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1464 W: 18 N: 2950] (10828)
  • [2006-11-06 15:42]

What a lovely family. This is very cute. Nice natural colours, good details and a nice POV

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2043 W: 212 N: 3651] (12150)
  • [2006-11-07 7:50]

Hi Ulla

What a cute family photo! All these ducks and ducklings look really niec together like that!
The colors are great and the light is excellent!
Very well taken, exposed and composed.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hi Ulla
Nice family fhoto, that it transmits tenderness, great moment.
Regards.
Jorge

Hello Ulla,
I missed some of your last posts; everything goes so fast here. So, speaking of ducks, I'll comment this one today. This is a beautiful family portrait that you caught with excellent details, nice POV, good lightning and composition. I think that the young ones look very much like mallard's babies but the mature ones are quite different with their beautiful mask... I liked your interesting and useful notes. TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Maite Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 978 W: 64 N: 1189] (4884)
  • [2006-12-16 10:59]

Hello Ulla
What adorable image! Very good composition.
TFS
Maite

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