Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Spotted-headed duck
- Scientific name: Anas flavirostris, Speckled Teal
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Anatidae
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
It has a mottled upper body and wings with interwoven brown and yellow markings.
Distribution and Habitat
It is distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay.
They typically inhabit freshwater lakeshores, and also live in groups in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, bays, and coastal salt flats.
Appearance
There are four subspecies of the Bar-headed Duck, with varying plumage colors depending on their geographical distribution. They all have mottled upperparts and wings with a mix of brown and yellow. Two subspecies have yellow bills, while the Venezuelan subspecies (Anas flavirostris altipetens) and the Ecuadorian subspecies (Anas flavirostris andium) have entirely black bills. The Ecuadorian subspecies (Anas flavirostris andium) has slightly more white on its head and less bronze speculum. The Peruvian subspecies (Anas flavirostris xyptera) has more white on its ventral side.
Detailed introduction
The spotted-headed duck (scientific name: Anas flavirostris) has four subspecies.
Bar-headed ducks prefer to live in flocks during winter, mostly in the wild grasses of marshlands near water. They mainly float on the water's surface, foraging underwater, primarily feeding on plants, but sometimes also consuming animal matter. Their toes are webbed, but they rarely dive; when swimming, their tails remain above water. They are adept at foraging, playing, and courtship in the water. They are clean animals, frequently preening their feathers both in the water and on land. When sleeping or resting, they look after each other; males often remain alert, while females sleep. They typically rest more at midday than in the morning or evening. Before spring arrives, they are relatively lazy and sleepy, becoming more active as time progresses, swimming, walking, or flying. Their diet mainly consists of roots, seeds, leaves, cardamom, and rice from marshlands and lakes, but they also eat invertebrates and arthropods.
The breeding season for the Bar-headed Duck is from April to June. They build a bowl-shaped nest using plant stems, placing it above nearby water and concealing it among aquatic plants. Each nest contains 4 to 12 eggs, with incubation lasting 21 to 25 days. The chicks leave the nest at 49 days old and are usually incubated solely by the female. After hatching, the female continues to care for the chicks, who follow her as they forage.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver 3.1.
Protect wild animals and ban the consumption of wild game.
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