Bird
Kaua'i Mole Duck
Talpanas lippaAlso known as Kauai Mole Duck, Mole Duck
Kaua'i mole ducks were extraordinary flightless waterfowl adapted for a nocturnal, foraging lifestyle on the prehistoric forest floor. With drastically reduced eye sockets indicating functional blindness, they navigated dense terrain using an exceptionally enlarged trigeminal nerve that supplied sensitive tactile receptors to the bill. Their stout, robust limbs propelled them through lowland understory and limestone sinkholes, occupying an ecological guild remarkably similar to modern kiwis.
FlightlessNocturnal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyEarthworms, Soil Invertebrates, Insect Larvae
Predators
- Kaua'i Stilt-owl
- Polynesian Rat
- Humans
ThreatsPredation by introduced Pacific rats and hunting by early settlers
HabitatsLowland mesic forest floor and coastal karst sinkholes
Life spanUnknown; estimated 10–20 years
Classification
- FamilyAnatidae
- SpeciesTalpanas lippa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct prehistoric species known only from fossilized remains.
Responsible observation
- Museum Collections: Observe cataloged subfossil material curated in institutions such as the Smithsonian.
- Site Education: Tour the Makauwahi Cave Reserve on Kaua'i to learn about its excavation history.
Image unavailablePredator 
Ecological Analog (c) Tomáš Divilek, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Same Family Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. / Public domain · cc0
Same Family (c) Daval Davis, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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