The Laysan duck, also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Island and two atolls. The duck has several physical and behavioral traits linked to the absence of ground-based predators in its habitat. By 1860, the ducks had disappeared from everywhere except Laysan Island. The introduction of European rabbits by guano miners at the end of the 19th century brought the bird to the brink of extinction in 1912, with twelve surviving individuals. Rabbits were eradicated from the island in 1923 and numbers of Laysan ducks began to rise, reaching 500 by the 1950s. In an effort to ensure the long-term future of this duck, 42 birds were translocated to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 2002. These thrived in their new surroundings, and another group were later relocated to Kure Atoll.
Region
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Typical Environment
The species inhabits small, low-lying coral atolls with wetlands, brackish ponds, and freshwater seeps. On Laysan it forages around the hypersaline lake and adjacent vegetated shorelines, moving into dense grasses and shrubs for cover. Translocated populations occupy human-made ponds, seeps, and natural wetlands on Midway and Kure. It uses interdunal depressions and ephemeral rain pools, showing strong site fidelity and short-range movements within the atolls.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 20 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Laysan teal, this is one of the world’s rarest waterfowl, once reduced to just a dozen birds in 1912 after rabbits devastated its habitat. It survives on remote Northwestern Hawaiian atolls, and has adapted to predator-free islands by relying more on running and hiding than long flights. It is famous for ‘fly-snapping’—catching brine flies along shorelines. Conservation actions include translocations to Midway and Kure Atolls and ongoing control of disease and habitat threats.
Male Laysan duck
Laysan ducks chasing brine flies
Laysan duck brood
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant long-distance flier
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small groups; forms seasonal monogamous pairs. Nests on the ground in dense grasses or shrubs, with well-concealed cups lined with down. Females tend broods closely, leading ducklings to sheltered shallow-water feeding areas. Outside breeding, loose aggregations may form around productive feeding sites.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft and limited; females give muted quacks, while males produce low, wheezy notes. Alarm calls are sharper but still subdued compared to larger dabbling ducks.
Plumage
Mottled brown body with fine buffy streaking and a satin-green speculum bordered by white. Texture is compact and neat, aiding a camouflaged, earth-toned appearance. Plumage is subtly darker on the head and breast in males.
Diet
Feeds on aquatic and shoreline invertebrates, especially brine flies and their larvae, small crustaceans, snails, and insect larvae. Also consumes seeds and tender shoots of sedges and other shoreline plants. Dabbling, gleaning, and the characteristic ‘fly-snapping’ along wrack lines are common feeding methods. Ducklings focus heavily on small invertebrates in shallow, protected waters.
Preferred Environment
Shallow edges of lakes, ponds, and seeps with emergent vegetation and soft shorelines. Frequently forages along wrack lines and algal mats where invertebrates concentrate. Uses dense grasses and low shrubs nearby for cover between feeding bouts.
