The plumed whistling duck has flank plumes that look like feathers from a fancy dress costume. It is a long-necked long-legged bird. The head and breast are pale grey. The back is chestnut. Long drooping flank feathers are edged in white and black. The effect is elegant. The bird looks like it is wearing a cape. This visual distinction sets it apart from all other waterfowl in the region. It is a bird of style. Feeding involves grass seeds and aquatic plants. The duck grazes on land more than most of its relatives. It walks with an upright posture. The neck is straight. The legs are long. It looks like a small goose. This terrestrial habit allows it to exploit resources other ducks miss. It also takes small aquatic insects and crustaceans when available. The call is a clear whistled 'seep-seep' often given in flight. It sounds like a whistle. The bird was named for this sound. It marks the presence of the group. It signals activity in the shallows. In New Zealand these birds are rare vagrants. Most records come from the North Island. Northland the Waikato wetlands and the Bay of Plenty host occasional visitors. Birds have crossed the Tasman from Australia. They do not stay. A few weeks of feeding then they head back across the water or further south. In New Zealand it is an accident. A bird that took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of the Tasman. It feeds. It rests. It moves on. The plumed whistling duck breeds in Australia. Nesting happens in tree hollows near water. The nest is lined with down. Eight to twelve eggs are laid. The female incubates alone. The ducklings leave the nest within hours. They follow the female to water. Independence comes quickly. The species is nomadic in Australia. It follows the rain. It breeds after flooding. It moves when water dries. This mobility defines its existence. Stability is not an option. The flank plumes are the giveaway. No other duck in New Zealand has feathers like this. They are used in display. The male raises them. He calls. The female watches. She chooses. Visual signals drive the choice. The plumed whistling duck is a bird of the wet-dry tropics. It goes where the water goes. No significant threats exist in New Zealand due to rarity. In Australia wetland drainage poses a risk. Loss of nesting hollows and climate change affecting flooding patterns also affect populations. But the global population remains secure. Here it remains a transient guest. It carries on.