LA YSAN TEAL 
ANAS LAYSANENSIS Rothschild 
(Plate 21) 
Synonymy 
Anas laysanensis Rothschild, Bull. British Ornith. Club, no. 4, p. xvii, 1892. 
Horizonetta laysanenis Oberholser, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, p. 120, 
1917. 
Vernacular Name 
English: Laysan Teal 
DESCRIPTION 
.\DtJLT Male: Forehead deep shining brown, almost black, due to the fact that the black tips and 
margins of the feathers are quite abraded; top of head and neck similar, but showing more brown on 
the sides; the chin shows some white feathers, and there is a somewhat irregular ring of white feathers 
around the eye. Feathers of the upper surface deep blackish brown, with more or less irregular 
U-shaped or rather “obomegoid ” (Ridgway, Nomencl. Colors, pi. 15, fig. 8, 1886) markings of a light 
rusty brown; scapulars and greater wing-coverts with several markings, and all the feathers with 
more or less abraded borders of the same color; rump and upper tail -coverts more shining black; a 
large speculum of deep green, more velvety black behind and on the upper margin, bordered below 
by a broad white line. Primaries pale brown, with pale, almost whitish, edges. Feathers of the lower 
surface very pale rusty brown, with irregular darker bars and spots, somewhat whitish near the 
shaft and base. Under wing-coverts brown and rusty with a good deal of white, axillaries white with 
pale brown spots (Rothschild, 1900). 
Wing 192-210 mm.; culmen 39-40; tarsus 37-39. 
Adult Female; Differs from the male in having more white on the chin and upper throat, in having 
much bolder and more patch-like rusty markings on the upper surface, and in the speculum being 
indicated only (Rothschild, 1900). 
“Iris brown; upper mandible blackish, green towards the edges; lower mandible bluish brown, 
with a dull orange mark at the base; tarsus and toes dull orange, webs browm with a bluish tinge” 
(Rothschild, 1900). 
Wing 190.5-195.6 mm.; tail 88.9; culmen 39-40.6; tarsus 35.5-43.1. 
Young in Down: One specimen taken May 20, 1902 (U.S. National Museum), pileum black; two 
black streaks, one postorbital and one below and behind eye; area between eye and base of bill also 
black; rest of face and forehead', except a median streak, rich yellow browm; chin and throat yellow 
buff; mantle dark gray with yellow hairs; back and rump nearly black; under parts rich sulphur- 
yellow color. 
Remarks: A pair of adults in the United States National Museum shows the male with the entire head 
freckled with white except on the pileum. A ring around the eye is all white; throat and chin very 
much marked with white, and the postorbital area very white; the white freckling stops suddenly at 
