Alternative names: Argentina Duck, Blue-billed Duck
- Oxyura vittata
Identification
36–46 cm (14¼-18 inches)
- Black head
- Reddish-brown body
- Blue bill
Female has a brown body, white throat, and a white horizontal stripe on the side of the head below the eyes.
Similar Species
The male is rather like the male Ruddy Duck, but has a smaller, flatter head and longer tail.
Distribution
South America: found in southern Argentina and Chile; winters north to southern Brazil and Paraguay.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Large freshwater shallow lakes, marshes and small pools; favouring those bordered by abundant vegetation.
Behaviour
Diet
There is little information available. They feed by diving and are thought to eat seeds, plant material and small aquatic creatures.
Breeding
Ducks are one of very few groups of birds that uses a penis for transferring semen to the female. It has been described that Lake Duck has an unusually long penis for the body size. They appear to be monogamous.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Everything2.com
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved October 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Lake Duck. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 8 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lake_Duck
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
