- Sarkidiornis melanotos
Identification
Glossy blue black above, white below, blue and green iridescent secondaries, white head with dark spots, white neck. Male - larger with large black knob on the bill. Juvenile - dull buff underparts, face and neck, dull brown upperparts, crown and eyestripe.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, south Asia, Pakistan, Laos and extreme southern China. Also eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, northeast of Argentina, and as a vagrant on Trinidad.
Taxonomy
Sarkidiornis melanotos has two subspecies:[1]
- S. m. melanotos
- Tropical Africa, Madagascar and Pakistan to southern China
- S. m. sylvicola
- Tropical South America (east of the Andes)
Habitat
Wetlands, freshwater swamps and lakes.
Behaviour
The diet includes small fish, invertebrates, and seeds.
Breeding
They nest in tree holes and tall grass. The nest is lined with reeds, grass, or feathers. 7-15 yellowish-white eggs are laid; incubated by the female for about 30 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Comb Duck. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Comb_Duck
