The Paradise Shelduck looks like someone threw a handful of bold colour at a canvas and decided it worked. Males in particular are loud and deliberate. The head is dark green. The chest is deep chestnut. Flanks are patterned in black and white. Wings are tipped with pale blue. It is impossible to ignore. Females are quieter, softer, and more muted. But they are no less real. This striking sexual dimorphism makes them easy to identify. It is unusual among New Zealand birds. They live near water. Lakes, ponds, slow rivers, and sometimes farm dams provide the setting. Calm surfaces, reeds, and rushes offer cover. Yet the bird prefers to make its presence known. They dabble and dive. Occasionally they tip forward into the shallows. They hunt for plants, insects, and small invertebrates. Grazing on pasture like a goose is common. Large flocks move across farmland paddocks during the day. At night, they retreat to wetlands, estuaries, or lake margins to roost. Paradise ducks are bold, social, and often a little cheeky. They have a distinctive call. It is sharp and ringing. It carries across the water, demanding attention. The male and female have distinct calls. Pairs often stick together. Family groups move with careful coordination. Nests are hidden in tall vegetation near water. Eggs are tucked away. Adults leave them to incubate while they forage. Chicks are precocious but still small. They learn quickly to navigate both water and land. Nesting sites vary. Tree holes, rock crevices, under logs, or burrows dug into riverbanks all serve. They are described as striking. True. But they are also stubborn, attentive, and unashamedly themselves. A Pūtakitaki on the water does not just float. It asserts. Look here. Notice me. That is enough. The species has benefited from human modification of the landscape. Forest conversion to pasture provided abundant grazing habitat. They are now more common than before human arrival. One of New Zealand's most recognisable waterfowl, the population is estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 birds. It is considered secure. Numbers are increasing. Localised threats exist. Predation by stoats, ferrets, and cats affects eggs and ducklings. Disturbance by vehicles and dogs also poses risks. But these are minor compared to the gains from agricultural expansion. The bird thrives in lowland agricultural areas of the South Island and the lower North Island. It is found throughout the North and South Islands, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands. Pasture, wetlands, riverbeds, and coastal estuaries host the species. It adapts faster than expected. It carries on.