Wandering Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata) Hunter Wetlands NSW

Wandering Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata) Hunter Wetlands NSW
Canon EOS 40D Lens 100-400mm L IS USM at 400mm ISO 400 F 7.1 1/800 26 October 2010
Upwards of eight of this species visiting Hunter Wetlands just now and what treat to get images so close to home. They are a bit wary but this pair allowed a reasonably close approach using trees as a screen. The image width is full frame as taken and the crop is from the top. Cloning done of some floating debris which were eye catching.

Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock

EXP good and two nice head angles. The scuzzy water at the top is problematic. Is this species rare?

Thanks Arthur. Yes! That area above birds is a problem and covered an extensive area of the pond. The species in Australia is found across the north of Australia then down through eastern Queensland and New South Wales It is not enedemic to Australia but is found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands. In the north they can occur in large flocks Birds in Backyards at : http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Dendrocygna-arcuata
has a precise and informant fact sheet on this species. The another species in this Genus the Plumed Whistling-Duck has a slightly more extensive but similar Australian distribution a fact sheet on that species see:
http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Dendrocygna-eytoni
Certainly both very attractive species IMHO.
Thanks for the comments
Best regards
Rod Warnock

Thanks for the info Rod, and YAW. Both of our whistling ducks like to hang out in backyards and the like in some places. And get fed.