FWS Focus

Overview

The Laysan duck (American Ornithologists’ Union 1998), also known as the Laysan teal, is a small (38.1 to 43.2 centimeters [15 to 17 inches] in length, weight 420 to 500 grams [14.8 to 17.6 ounces]), mostly chocolate-brown duck with contrasting bi-colored body feathers (USFWS 1982; Moulton and Marshall 1996). It has an iridescent purplish-green speculum (wing patch) and a prominent white eye ring. There is considerable individual variation in plumage. The eye ring is nearly absent on juvenile birds, and becomes more extensive and irregular in adults. Leucism, or extensive white feathering, is common on the head and neck, especially in birds older than 3 years. The plumage of both sexes is quite similar, but bill and leg coloring can be used to distinguish sexes. In males, the short and spatulate bill is olive-green with black blotches along the maxilla (upper half of the bill). Females have a slightly shorter, paler orange bill with variable black mottling. Both sexes have dull orange legs, although the male’s legs typically are brighter (Moulton and Marshall 1996). Mass fluctuates significantly with season (Reynolds and Work 2005). Both males and females are lightest during the breeding season. Other morphometric characteristics (wing chord, tarsus, and bill length) are on average slightly larger for males (Moulton and Marshall 1996). On Laysan, molt typically occurs between July & August for males & between July & September for females (Moulton and Marshall 1996). For female ducks, the molt usually occurs after brood rearing. The timing of the molt is variable, as is the timing for breeding. It is a relatively long-lived species (12 years in the wild, 18 in captivity; Moulton and Weller 1984; Reynolds and Kozar 2000a) with a low reproductive rate in comparison with continental ducks. The Laysan duck is mostly nocturnal in its habits, feeds primarily on insects, and is very sedentary and terrestrial for a waterfowl species.

Scientific Name

Anas laysanensis
Common Name
Laysan Duck
FWS Category
Birds
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Geography

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Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

7 Items

Listing

Recovery Plan

Five Year Review

Recovery Plan

Five Year Review

Five Year Review

Five Year Review

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Listing

Mar 11, 1967

Mar 11, 1967 Listing (Endangered)
Endangered Species List - 1967
  • Publication type: Final
  • Population:
Item 1

Recovery Plan

Nov 4, 2004

Nov 4, 2004 Recovery Plan (Document Availability (non-FR))
Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Laysan Duck (Anas laysensis)
  • Publication type: Draft
  • Population:
Item 2

Five Year Review

Jul 6, 2005

Jul 6, 2005 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of the Mariana Fruit Bat (Pteropus mariannus mariannus), Mariana Crow (…
  • Publication type: Notice
  • Population:
Item 3

Recovery Plan

Sep 22, 2009

Sep 22, 2009 Recovery Plan (Document Availability (non-FR))
Revised Recovery Plan for the Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis)
  • Publication type: Final
  • Population:
Item 4

Five Year Review

Mar 6, 2012

Mar 6, 2012 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
5-Year Status Reviews of 46 Species in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Montana, Hawaii, Guam, and…
  • Publication type: Notice
  • Population:
Item 5

Five Year Review

Feb 13, 2015

Feb 13, 2015 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of 133 Species in Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington
  • Publication type: Notice
  • Population:
Item 6

Five Year Review

Mar 11, 2020

Mar 11, 2020 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5- Year Status Reviews for 129 Species in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana,…
  • Publication type: Notice
  • Population:
Item 7