Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Grey Boat Duck
- Scientific name: Flying Steamerduck (Tachyeres pteneres)
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family and genus: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Shoalidae
Vital signs data
- Body length: 65-78 cm (possibly)
- Weight: 3.5-7kg
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
The entire body is dark gray with white spots.
Distribution and Habitat
They are distributed in South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands (also known as the Malvinas Islands).
Appearance
The Grey Boat Duck is 65-78 cm long and weighs 3.5-7 kg. Males and females are similar, with males being slightly larger. When floating on the water, its rounded wings glide and move like oars, hence the name "Boat Duck." It is dark grey overall with white spots; the male has white cheeks and a white foreneck. Its wingtips are black with a white speculum, its iris is black, it has white eye rings, and its bill is orange-yellow with a black spot at the tip; its webbed legs are orange-yellow.
Detailed introduction
The grey boat duck (scientific name: Tachyeres pteneres) is a gregarious duck belonging to the Anatidae family.
The Grey Boat Duck inhabits steep cliffs, sandy beaches, saltwater lakes, and coastlines. Its diet consists mainly of crustaceans, mollusks, shrimp, and small fish. Small groups of a few to over 20 individuals are commonly seen foraging in shallow waters near the water's edge and on the surface.
The Grey Boat Duck typically breeds near the edges of lakes, rivers, ponds, and marshes, with the breeding season from September to October. Pairs are relatively stable. Mating takes place in water or on land. Nests are built in grass or bushes near water, and sometimes in rock crevices or sandy slopes. The nest consists of a small amount of dry grass and a large amount of down feathers; the female lines the nest with plants and plucks a large amount of down feathers from her own body to place inside after she begins laying eggs. Each nest contains 5-10 eggs. Incubation begins after all eggs are laid, and is undertaken solely by the female, while the male guards the nest, calling loudly to warn of danger. The incubation period is 27-30 days. The ducklings are precocial, fully covered in down feathers after hatching and capable of swimming and diving. They reach sexual maturity at two years of age.
Listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Birds, 2009 ver 3.1.
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