Paradise shelduck Larissa's street antics are 'quacking' everyone up as she leaves the bill with everyone else in Whangamatā. Video / Alan Williams
Whangamatā is going quackers over a feathered friend the town affectionately named Larry.
Paradise shelduck Larry, who could easily have been called Larissa, has been lurking around the main street for months and has become the talk of the town.
She’s been ducking in and out of shops and eateries, crossing the main street for a bargain, and making herself seen and heard along Port Rd in the central business hub.
It could be another verse of Paradise Lost as shelducks are known to mate for life, or it could be that Larry is just taking a break from duck hunting season.
While Larry was providing the town with some lighthearted entertainment, SPCA scientific officer Dr Christine Sumner said it was probably best if people didn’t feed her.
Sumner said people interacted with birds as a positive connection with the natural world but she urged people to consider the impact they could have on wild animals.
“SPCA is concerned about the welfare of this wild bird due to her interactions with people feeding her.
“This paradise shelduck should be eating food that is healthy for her and we are concerned she may be fed foods that could cause harm; we oppose feeding wild birds when it causes harm to their health and welfare.”
Reports were varied as to when Larry first arrived in Whangamatā's central hub, but the general consensus was the duck had been “winging it” around town for about six months.
When the Hauraki Coromandel Post took to the main street to gauge feedback it was agreed Larry had quackitude, but was seen as a waddle citizen.
Shaun Fay (left) and John Yeates agree there's nothing fowl about Larry.
Resident and regular main street shopper Shaun Fay said he first spotted the duck in December 2023, in a bar along Port Rd.
“Larry wandered through the outdoor bar, easy as you please, not begging, just cruising around for the odd spare morsel. There were some dogs there as well, but Larry wasn’t bothered, she handled them with a lovely level of aplomb.
“Here on the Paradise Coast, it’s rather nice having our own good-looking paradise duck, however, we all wondered where her mate is, after all these ducks mate for life.”
Fay said the name Larry had stuck: “I don’t think it minds.”
Fay said the duck had a “crook” leg a couple of months back but when “fans” of it tried to help, the bird scrambled.
“Seems Larry’s legs have seen better days as she has slowed it down, evident when she decides to cross Port Rd.”
Sumner said there was concern that feeding Larry had encouraged her to spend time interacting with people in a busy urban environment, leading to an increased risk of injury from vehicles and interactions with people who may not appreciate her presence.
Further along Port Rd, Whiritoa resident John Yeates said he understood Larry had been lurking around on the main street for about six months.
Yeates said Larry visited cafes, coming into town for breakfast and lunch.
“I’m not quite sure what they give her at the cafes, but she reads the menu and just orders, I’m not quite sure who is paying the bill.
“She walks across the road unassisted.”
“There were two of them, but it seems that the partner has unfortunately died, I think a lot of the locals are looking after and feeding her and making sure that she’s okay,” says Liz Body.
Across the road at Craigs Traditional Fish and Chips, operator Liz Body said Larry had probably been around town since December 2023.
“There were two of them, but it seems that the partner has unfortunately died, I think a lot of the locals are looking after and feeding her and making sure that she’s okay.”
Sumner said if anyone was concerned about the bird’s welfare they should contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or the SPCA.
Paradise shelducks are known as colourful, conspicuous and noisy waterfowl that could be mistaken for a small goose.
New Zealand Birds Online reports the birds as having undergone an increase in population since about 1990, including the colonisation of sports fields and other open, grassed areas within urban environments.
The expansion had occurred in the face of being a gamebird and hunted annually.
Paradise shelducks were generally herbivorous, with a preference for pasture grasses and clover.
An extensive diet had been recorded that embraced a broad range of leaves and seeds of terrestrial herbs, some aquatic plants, and terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates.
