Story: Wetland birds
The head and face of a grey duck or pārera have alternate dark and light curved lines – dark over the top of the head, through the eye and more faintly back from the bill, and pale above and below the eye. On the body their dark brown feathers have pale tan fringes. Very common until the 1950s, this species has been overtaken by introduced mallards. The two species interbreed, so few pure grey ducks remain.
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Otago Daily Times
Photograph by Stephen Jaquiery
Permission of the Otago Daily Times must be obtained before any re-use of this image.