Flying Steamer-Duck

Photo by Gary Clark
Location: Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

Tachyeres patachonicus

Identification

A large duck (length 68cm). Bill is orange-yellow at the base, gray at the tip, with a large dark nail. Overall mottled gray and brown, with reddish-brown chin and conspicuous white eye-line that extends down the back of the neck. Legs and feet are yellow. Underparts white. The female is slightly darker overall.

Similar Species

All the Steamerducks are very similar in appearance. The Flightless Steamerduck and Falkland Steamerduck are larger, and do not fly.

Distribution

Southern South America: found on the coasts of south Chile, Argentina and Falkland Islands.

Taxonomy

This species is monotypic.^[1]

Habitat

Inland waters and sea coast.

Behaviour

Travels in pairs or small groups.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

• List of references

Recommended Citation

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

External Links

Search for photos of Flying Steamer-Duck in the gallery