Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Painted-faced Hardtailed Duck
- Scientific name: Nomonyx dominicus, Masked Duck, Oxyura dominicus
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Hard-tailed duck
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 33 centimeters
- Weight: Approximately 363g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Male ducks assist in raising their chicks, a rare characteristic among ducks.
Distribution and Habitat
Distributed in Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Saint Eustachians and Saba, Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire), Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the Bolivarian Republic.
Wandering: Virgin Islands.
They inhabit lush freshwater marshes, tree-covered ponds, mangrove swamps, and are also frequently found in rice paddies.
Appearance
The Painted-faced Hardtailed Duck is the only member of the genus *Nomonyx*, though some classifications place it under the genus *Oxyura*. It measures 33 cm in length, has a wingspan of 43 cm, and weighs 363 grams. Adult males have black faces during the breeding season, with mottled rust-colored wings and plumage. Males, females, and ducklings have greyish-brown plumage in winter, with two brownish-yellow stripes running horizontally across their dark cheeks. They have thin black bills and white eye rings. The upperparts are reddish-brown with black, brown, and reddish-brown spots. The back and sides have dark brown stripes, and white speculum is visible in flight. Females are mottled brown, lighter overall in color, with a dark cap, brown to reddish-brown eyes, striped cheeks, a bluish-grey bill, a black tail, and greyish-black legs.
Detailed introduction
The spotted hard-tailed duck (scientific name: Nomonyx dominicus) is a very typical gregarious duck belonging to the Anatidae family.
The Painted-faced Hard-tailed Duck mixes with other ducks in flocks, is adept at swimming and diving, and typically stays underwater for only 3-5 minutes. While swimming, it often raises its tail high. Its flight pattern upon taking off from the water is rapid wing flapping with a tight, direct stride. It primarily feeds on aquatic plants, including seeds, roots, and leaves. It also eats insects, fish, frogs, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms.
The Painted-faced Hardtailed Duck is monogamous. The female builds a roof-shaped or deep cup-shaped nest in the bushes or grass near the water, lined with feathers. Each nest contains 4 to 10 white or pale yellow eggs, which incubate for 23 to 24 days. The breeding season is from May to July.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver3.1.
Protect wild animals and ban the consumption of wild game.
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