Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis) lives in freshwater wetlands across Hawaii Islands. It feeds on algae and insects. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Laysan Duck
- Twelve ducks barely survived the 1912 crisis, when introduced rabbits drove the species to the brink of extinction. After biologists eradicated the rabbits in 1923, the population rebounded, climbing to about 500 individuals by the 1950s. This dramatic turnaround shows how removing a single invasive predator can rescue a whole species from disappearance, turning a near-extinct bird into a recovering population.
- In 2002, conservationists moved exactly 42 Laysan ducks from their sole island home to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, creating a second wild population. That group, plus later birds sent to Kure Atoll, more than doubled in size within two years, reaching 100 individuals by January 2007. Establishing an "insurance" colony spreads risk, so a single disaster cannot wipe out the entire species.
- Laysan ducks lay about four eggs per clutch on their native island, and the hatchlings leave the nest just two days after emerging. Yet the hen guards and leads them for 40 to 60 days, and only roughly 30% of those ducklings survive to fledge. These numbers reveal a fragile early life stage: even with multiple eggs, most chicks never make it, underscoring why every breeding pair is vital for population stability.
- The Laysan duck is a poor flyer, its wings and flight muscles reduced, so it prefers to freeze when chased rather than take off. Though it can lift off briefly, it cannot travel long distances and has never moved between the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which are spaced dozens of miles apart. This limited flight ability ties the bird tightly to predator-free islands, making it extremely vulnerable to any new ground threats.
- Laysan ducks occupy the tiniest range of any duck species, just 415 hectares (1.60 square miles) on a single island. Because their whole habitat sits low on the coast, even a modest sea-level rise would wipe out a large portion of their breeding and foraging grounds. This extreme habitat restriction means climate change could erase the only place these ducks have anywhere to live.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeHawaii Islands
HabitatFreshwater wetlands
DietAlgae and insects
About the Laysan Duck
In the tranquil wetlands of its native Hawaii, the Laysan Duck glides effortlessly, its soft feathers glistening like polished silk as it paddles through the calm waters with a gentle, almost ethereal, quality. With only a few hundred individuals remaining, this critically endangered species moves through its world with a quiet, unassuming beauty, its very existence a poignant reminder of the fragility and wonder of life on the brink. As it forages for seeds and insects, its soft quacks echo through the stillness, a haunting serenade to a world that is rapidly disappearing.
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