A mated pair of rare Hawaiian Koloa native ducks, Anas wyvilliana, splashed down while I was watching the fish in Waikiki. There were not at all afraid of the many tourists watching them and proceeded to browse off of the seaweek on the breakwater making for quite a siting!
2 comments:
Mallards and mallard hybrids are common in Hawai'i - far more common than true koloa. Any reason to believe this isn't just another mallard?
You raise a reasonable point. Mallards have become a problem, largely interbreeding with the native Koloa ducks. In favor of these two being more or less true Koloa are the beak color (more greenish than yellow) and the lack of green coloration in the head of the male. In favor of a little anonymous whoopee with the Mallards along the family line is the little patch of blue-green on the wing of the male (shown). There is some question as to whether "pure" Koloa still exist.
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