Rare leucistic Philippine duck spotted in Leyte natural park

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the waters of Lake Malagsum in Burauen, Leyte, protected area rangers encountered a Philippine duck that stood out from the rest — its feathers unusually pale because of a rare pigmentation condition.

The leucistic Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) was documented at Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP) during regular patrols, marking the first such record by the park’s Biodiversity Monitoring Team.

Leucism causes reduced pigmentation, giving an animal unusually pale or white coloration. Unlike albinism, however, it does not involve a complete absence of pigmentation.

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For the Protected Area Management Office, the unusual duck is more than a striking sight. The team said the record adds to MVNP’s biodiversity data and highlights the natural park as a safe habitat for threatened and unique wildlife.

The Philippine duck itself is distinctive even without leucism: It is the country’s only endemic duck, according to a study by Ivannah Kryztelle Cuna, Dianne Valencia and Essex Vladimer Samaniego published in SIYASIG: The Southern Luzon Journal of Science.

The species is at home in a wide range of aquatic environments. The study said Philippine ducks can be found in lakes, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, freshwater ponds, streams and rivers, as well as estuaries, mangroves, mudflats, salt pans and even the open sea.

Where Philippine ducks find refuge

Hundreds of kilometers from Lake Malagsum, researchers studying the species in the Pagbilao Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve in Quezon found signs of how the birds respond to their surroundings.

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Cuna and her fellow researchers monitored Philippine ducks in four transects in the reserve from December 2018 to February 2019. They recorded 1,742 encounters — 557 involving swimming ducks and 1,185 fly-thrus — and classified the species as common in the study area based on their abundance scale.

But the birds were not distributed evenly.

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Only 84 duck encounters were recorded in the most disturbed transect, an area frequented by fishermen and used as an entry point for visitors. Recreational activities such as swimming and picnics were also reported there.

By comparison, researchers recorded 699 and 773 duck encounters in two of the less disturbed transects, where there was little to no visitor access and fishermen were prohibited.

The researchers said human disturbance influenced the population and abundance of Philippine ducks in the reserve. They recommended continued monitoring and conservation measures, including minimizing activities that could significantly disturb their habitat.

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A familiar bird in unfamiliar colors

A Philippine duck normally bears a rusty cinnamon-colored head, black crown and nape and a prominent black stripe through the eye, according to the Pagbilao study.

Its wings feature an iridescent blue-green patch bordered in black with a narrow white edge, while the underside of the wing is white. Male and female ducks generally look alike, although females were found to be slightly smaller and lighter in color.

That typical coloration makes the pale plumage of the leucistic individual in Lake Malagsum particularly unusual.

Beyond its appearance, however, the bird belongs to a species facing threats that have made its protection a matter of law.

The Philippine duck is classified as vulnerable under Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 2019-09.

Under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, killing or destroying a vulnerable species is punishable by imprisonment of two years and one day to four years and a fine of P30,000 to P300,000.

Hunting, capturing or possessing a vulnerable species carries a penalty of six months and one day to two years in prison and a fine of P10,000 to P100,000.

The Pagbilao study likewise cited reported cases of duck poaching in areas near the mangrove reserve and recommended that authorities continue monitoring and conservation efforts for the Philippine duck.

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For the Biodiversity Monitoring Team at Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park, the rare bird in Lake Malagsum serves as another reminder of why those efforts matter: Every species, including its rarest individuals, deserves protection. /mr