Description: Large black swan with white tipped crimson beak displaying a lot of white on the wings in flight. Noisy laborious takeoff with wing tips striking the water. Pleasant bugling calls. Can be a solitary nester but often colonial. Feeds in shallow water by upending to crop submerged plants, but also grazes pasture.

Habitat: Prefers larger ponds and lakes.

Size: 1.2 m

Description: Large brown goose with black head and neck and obvious white cheeks and chin. Disliked by farmers as they graze grass, and leave behind droppings. Popular game bird and in spite of 30,000 + being shot each year are increasing in numbers.

Habitat: Present on bodies of water as small as Henley Lake size and as large as Lake Wairarapa. Fly in a V formation and have a "honking" call.

Size: 80 cm

Description: Both sexes alike and are brown, not grey and can easily be confused with female , but have very clearly marked eye stripe and a green speculum. Interbreeds with to yield a variety of hybrids.

Habitat: prefers remote areas and is uncommon on urban lakes and ponds.

Size: 55 cm

Description: Small light grey-brown duck with creamy markings on cheeks and throat (sexes alike). All body feather appear to be outlined with pale edges. Prominent flash of white on wings in flight. Feeds by filtering microrganisms from mud or the water surface. Highly mobile and can fly to and from Australia. Nest in holes close to water and readily use nest boxes erected on a post in water.

Habitat: Prefer shallow lakes and estuaries.

Size: 45 cm

Description: Our commonest duck. Male has dark iridescent glossy green head separated by a white ring from chestnut breast grey brown body with black tail and rump. Female is brown with variable darker eye stripe. Inner trailing wing feathers (speculum) are blue in contrast to (with which female can be confused) which has a green speculum. Characteristically "quacking" ducks which dabble on surface for food. Flocks can cause damage to pea and cereal crops.

Habitat: Seen on most bodies of water.

Size: 60 cm

Description: Small dark brown duck which looks black at a distance which dives and does all its feeding under water. Male distinguished by more glossy plumage and golden eye, female duller with brown eye. Patters for some distance over water at take off and flies low. White obvious in wings on flight.

Habitat: Larger ponds and lakes.

Size: 40 cm

Description: Brown duck with long heavy spatulate beaks. Breeding male has grey blue head with narrow white crescent in front of golden eye and bright chestnut flanks. Female is mottled brown, camouflaged and can be mistaken for a female at a distance. Surface feeder, sweeping beak from side to side and sieving food. Utters a quiet "chuff-chuff-chuff" call.

Habitat: Very fast fliers, audible whistling of wings as they drop rapidly in zig-zag fashion to land.

Size: 50 cm