Meller's duck

It sometimes happens that a species nearly becomes extinct because nobody recognizes it as a separate species until it is almost too late. This is what has happened in the case of Meller’s duck.

The problem for this bird is that it looks very much like a female mallard, about the same size (23 inches or 60 cm) and with dark brown feathers. Meller’s ducks, unlike mallards and most other duck species, have no features that distinguish males from females.

However, unlike the mallard, the Meller’s duck is very rare, and its natural habitat is limited to a small geographical area, namely the lakes and freshwater wetlands of eastern Madagascar, although there is also a small but declining population on Mauritius (which is where the dodo lived, not a good omen!).

The habitat is under threat, due to deforestation and the drainage of wetlands for agriculture, and the ducks are hunted for sport and food. It has also suffered from predation by rats and mongooses. The bird is a protected species, but the laws are rarely enforced. As a result, the number of birds left in the wild is probably less than 2,000. Meller’s duck is on the red list of endangered species maintained by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).

Another problem for the Meller’s duck is that it is closely related to the mallard, and can interbreed with it. The genetic purity of the Meller’s duck is therefore at risk, and it is only captive breeding programs in zoos and bird sanctuaries that are preserving the species.

The Meller’s duck (scientific name Anas melleri) feeds on plants and small fish, plus insects and shrimps.

In the wild, they live in smallish groups rather than flocks, sharing areas of suitable habitat. Pairs are formed during the breeding season (September to April), and may be resumed the following year, but mating for life is rare. The females build nests in thick vegetation near water, and lay one egg a day until the clutch reaches eight to ten eggs. Similarly to mallards, sitting does not begin until the clutch is complete or very nearly so, which means that all the eggs will hatch at roughly the same time and the ducklings will all be the same size. The incubation period is 27-28 days.

Male Meller’s ducks behave in a similar way to their mallard cousins at this time, taking no part in the nest building or incubation but protecting the nest from predators, especially when the female has to leave to find food.

Meller’s ducklings look very much like mallard ducklings with their brown and yellow feathers and a dark stripe on the head. They are able to follow their mother within two days of hatching, and at six weeks they are fledged and able to fly. The following year they will themselves be able to breed.

The fact that Meller’s duck is on the red list is clearly in its favour, but the prognosis for the wild population is not good, for the reasons mentioned above. The introduction of captive-bred birds into the wild will also have to be managed very carefully, because of the danger of interbreeding with the much more successful and widespread mallard. Introductions would therefore only be possible where mallards were absent.

It is therefore highly likely that future generations will only see Meller’s ducks in captivity rather than in their natural habitat.

© John Welford