Laysan Duck
The Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis), also known as the Laysan Teal because of its small size, is an endangered dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan Ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on three small, isolated islands.
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Laysan Duck |
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luciejuicy/
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| Laysan Duck |
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/
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| Laysan Duck |
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/
Taxonomy
Named by Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1892, the Laysan Duck is named after Laysan island, one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is a member of the mallard clade of dabbling ducks, and is a highly behaviorally and genetically unusual species. Recent evidence suggests they evolved from an east Asian, southern hemisphere ancestor of mallards, not from stray migratory Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) as had been reported in the past.
