On the sixth day of Christmas NFMV shared with me:
Six ducks a-laying
Five acmopyles,
Four calling kulas
Three flying foxes
Two friendly ground doves
And a fruit dove in a mango tree.
Pacific black ducks are the only species of duck now resident in Fiji.
We used to have whistling ducks too until the 1800s when they mysteriously disappeared. They may just have been passing through, but this is unlikely as their name ‘ganivati’ appears in some local Fijian place names.
Here are a few duck facts to digest on the last day of 2014:
• Pacific black ducks eat pond weed and small water creatures
• They are usually seen in pairs
• They have serrations on their beaks to help them to grip slippery food
• They keep their outer feathers waterproof and in tip-top condition when they preen using oil they produce naturally themselves
• They have webbed feet like flippers for paddling
• Our 6 ducks a-laying nest on the ground so are really vulnerable to invasive mammals. Mongooses are probably the greatest danger, especially to newly hatched ducklings!
We have chosen to illustrate the last post of the year with a cartoon Pacific black duck.
Why not try drawing cartoons of Fijian wildlife, yourself? We would love to see them! Post a photo on our Facebook Site!
We hope that 2015 has been a good year for you and your family and look forward to working with you all in 2016. We have LOTS of exciting surprises and changes in store! Watch this space….
Join us tomorrow to find out how you can help to save turtles!