Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Red-billed Duck
- Scientific name: Red-billed Duck, Red-billed Teal
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Anatidae
Vital signs data
- Body length: 43-48 cm
- Weight: 544-590g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
It has a black hat on its head, white cheeks and nape of its neck, and a bright red beak.
Distribution and Habitat
Distributed in south-central Africa, including the southern Arabian Peninsula and the entire African continent south of the Sahara Desert (Tropic of Cancer). Also found in the Indian Ocean, including Madagascar and its surrounding islands.
They typically inhabit freshwater lakeshores, and also live in groups in farmland, ponds, large dams, and seasonal streams.
Appearance
The Red-billed Duck is a wading waterfowl, measuring 43-48 cm in length. Males weigh 590 grams, and females weigh 544 grams. It has a black cap on its head, white cheeks and nape, and a bright red beak. Its body feathers are dark brown with white edges. The primary and secondary flight feathers have black stripes. Males and females are similar, but juveniles have duller plumage than adults.
They are docile, easy to manage, vigorous, omnivorous, tolerant of roughage, water-loving, have a rhythmic lifestyle, are highly adaptable, cold-resistant, have a high survival rate, grow quickly, produce more lean meat and less fat, have a short rearing cycle, low cost, high feed utilization, and strong reproductive capacity. They are gregarious and can be raised in enclosures or free-range.
Detailed introduction
The Red-billed Duck (scientific name: *Anas erythrorhyncha*) is a highly social gregarious species. During the breeding season or at the end of the dry season, flocks can reach several thousand individuals, and in Botswana, up to 500,000. They are primarily active in the grassy areas of marshy regions near water. The male's call is similar to a rapid, tapping telephone call, while the female's call is much softer.
Red-billed ducks mainly feed on roots, seeds, leaves, fruits, and rice in marshes and lakes, and also eat invertebrates and arthropods.
The Red-billed Duck's breeding season is after the dry season in southern Africa, typically between December and April. They build a bowl-shaped nest using plant stems, placing it near a water source in a densely vegetated area. The nest is elevated above the nearby water and concealed among aquatic plants. Each nest contains 4 to 12 eggs, with an incubation period of 24-28 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 in foraging.
Listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Birds, 2009 ver 3.1.
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