Biology:Andean duck

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of bird

Andean duck
Andean duck (Oxyura ferruginea) male Cundinamarca.jpg
male in Colombia
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Oxyura
Species:
O. ferruginea
Binomial name
Oxyura ferruginea
(Eyton, 1838)
Oxyura ferruginea distribution.svg
Range of Oxyura ferruginea.
Synonyms
  • Oxyura jamaicensis ferruginea

The Andean duck (Oxyura ferruginea) is a bird species native to the Andean Mountains of South America, one of the stiff-tailed ducks. It was considered a subspecies of the ruddy duck. In fact, some taxonomic authorities still consider it conspecific, including the American Ornithological Society.

Description

These are small, compact ducks with stout, scoop-shaped bills, and long, stiff tails they often hold cocked upward. They have slightly peaked heads and fairly short, thick necks. In summer, they have rich chestnut bodies with bright blue bills. In winter, they are dull gray-brown above and paler below with dull gray bills. Females and first-year males are brownish, somewhat like winter males but with a blurry stripe across the pale cheek patch. It is separable from the ruddy duck by its all-black face and larger size.

Breeding and habits

Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds the nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from predators. A typical brood contains 5 to 15 ducklings.

These birds dive and swim underwater. They mainly eat seeds and roots of aquatic plants, aquatic insects and crustaceans.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Oxyura ferruginea". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) 2016: e.T22727757A94961092. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22727757A94961092.en. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22727757/0. Retrieved 13 January 2018. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3591452 entry