Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Looking for some top-secret native Hawaiian bird intel? DUCK!
Often mistaken for a female mallard — so much so that many are even unaware of its existence — the Koloa Maoli is significantly smaller, and has been paddling through the islands for thousands of years, unlike its introduced counterpart.
🌊
This endemic duck has some “bill”-iant feeding techniques. They'll tip completely upside down — tail in the air and head underwater — foraging in muddy shallows and using tiny comb-like structures inside their bills, called lamellae, to strain seeds and critters from the water. Although Koloa Maoli don't migrate, they're surprisingly speedy fliers, — one has even been clocked at 50mph!
With only about 673 birds remaining, the vulnerable Koloa Maoli faces an unusual challenge: Mallards can breed with these native ducks, gradually erasing their unique traits.
Duck into our bird library to learn more:
abcbirds.info/4hWqrFj
Looking for some top-secret native Hawaiian bird intel? DUCK!
Often mistaken for a female mallard — so much so that many are even unaware of its existence — the Koloa Maoli is significantly smaller, and has been paddling through the islands for thousands of years, unlike its introduced counterpart.
🌊
This endemic duck has some “bill”-iant feeding techniques. They'll tip completely upside down — tail in the air and head underwater — foraging in muddy shallows and using tiny comb-like structures inside their bills, called lamellae, to strain seeds and critters from the water. Although Koloa Maoli don't migrate, they're surprisingly speedy fliers, — one has even been clocked at 50mph!
With only about 673 birds remaining, the vulnerable Koloa Maoli faces an unusual challenge: Mallards can breed with these native ducks, gradually erasing their unique traits.
Duck into our bird library to learn more:
abcbirds.info/4hWqrFj
