Meller's duck

Scientific name: Anas melleri

Country: Madagascar

Diet: Vegetation, insects, snails, small fish and water shrimp

Food and feeding: Omnivore

Habitats: East coast wetlands

Conservation status: Endangered

Relatives: Mallard

Description: Mellers ducks are large, well-built ducks with a long neck and a long, dark grey bill. They are about 60 cm long. Males are slightly larger than the females. Both males and females look exactly the same with dark brown feathers, just like female mallard.

Family & friends: Mellers ducks do not live in flocks, but groups do share areas of suitable habitat. During the breeding season, the ducks pair up. These ducks rarely mate for life but successful pairs do mate for more than one season. Females build a nest on the ground in thick vegetation near water and lay one egg each day to form a clutch of eight to ten. They begin sitting when the second to last egg has been laid, then only leave the nest for short periods to find food and water for themselves throughout the 27 to 28 days that the eggs take to hatch. Males do not help with nest building or incubation, but maintain their nesting territories by warding off intruders and protecting their mate and offspring from potential predators.

Growing up: The ducklings look very similar to mallard chicks as they have yellow and brown downy feathers and a dark stripe on the head. They are described as precocial which means they are well developed when they hatch out and within a couple of days are able to run around and find food for themselves. At six weeks old, the ducklings grow adult feathers and are able to fly and can breed themselves the following season. The usual lifespan of a Mellers duck in captivity is 10 to15 years.

Did you know?
The conservation of the Meller's duck was long-hampered because it was thought to be a widespread common mallard.

Conservation news
The number of wild Mellers ducks is still falling. In Madagascar there are laws controlling the hunting of Mellers ducks but these laws are rarely enforced and large numbers are taken for food and sport. However, the main reason for the decline of this species is the rapid degradation of Madagascars wetlands. This has been caused by a number of activities, including land drainage for agriculture and construction, and the silting up of water with eroded soil because of deforestation.

The Mellers ducks here in the Zoo are part of a coordinated breeding programme which helps to ensure that the captive birds stay genetically healthy and productive.