Falcated Duck - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by Akiko Hidaka
Kanto, Japan, February 2007

Mareca falcata

Identification

Female
Photo © by edenwatcher
Chino City, Japan, late February 2008

46–54 cm (18-21¼ in)
Male

• Dark metallic purple-chestnut crest
• White throat and breast divided by a broken black band
• Green on side of head
• Spectacular elongated sickle-shaped (falcate) scapulars which hang over the tail.

Female Resembles female Eurasian Wigeon, but with all black bill, squarer head; underparts brown with black and chestnut scalloping and upperparts showing grey fringed exposed tertials.

Distribution

Eastern Siberia and Mongolia to northern Japan; winters to India

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].
Formerly placed in the genus Anas.

Habitat

Breeds on freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds and lagoons.

Behaviour

Artwork © by Ayuwat J

Breeding

A clutch of 6 to 10 white eggs are laid starting in May. Nest is on the ground in thick grasses, tussocks, shrubbery or hidden in deadwood.

Diet

Their diet consists almost entirely of seeds, grass and grain, with other green plant material.

Vocalisations

Usually silent except when breeding. Male duck has a shrill whistle and the female has a hoarse quack.

Movements

Highly migratory.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Carboneras, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Falcated Duck (Mareca falcata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52865 on 5 April 2019).
3. González, J., H. Düttmann, and M. Wink (2009). Phylogenetic relationships based on two mitochondrial genes and hybridization patterns in Anatidae. Journal of Zoology 279 (3):310-318.
4. Brazil, M.A. (1991) The Birds of Japan, Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington DC.
5. BirdLife International (2019) Species factsheet: Mareca falcata. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 09/04/2019.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Falcated Duck. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Falcated_Duck

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