Laysan duck  (Anas laysanensis)

Biology

Laysan ducks fly when they wish to each more remote parts of the island, but otherwise, they spending much of their time walking or running along the ground. They rest at midday and begin to feed during the evening and night (11). Laysan ducks feeds principally on brine flies, shrimps, and other invertebrates such as insect larvae and moths, but it also consumes grass seeds, sedge seeds and some algae (12). They have a novel way of catching brine flies; individuals run through swarms of these flies with their bills open and necks stretched out, attempting to trap the flies in the beak (11).

The breeding season of the Laysan duck extends from autumn to spring, (typically April through June) (4). Copulation occurs on land or in water, and the female then builds a nest in dense grasses, where four eggs are usually laid (4) (11).

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