Emperor goose

Chen canagica

Photo by Reginald David (Hawaii Biological Survey)

Common name:
emperor goose (en); ganso-imperador (pt); oie empereur (fr); ganso emperador (es); kaisergans (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
This species is only found around the Bering Sea, breeding both along the western coast of Alaska and along the eastern coast of extreme north-eastern Russia. They migrate south to winter along the ice-free coasts of the Aleutian islands, the Alaska Peninsula and the northernmost Pacific coast of Canada.

Size:
These birds are 66-69 cm long and weigh up to 3 kg.

Habitat:
The emperor goose breeds in coastal saltmarshes and tundra grasslands near lakes and rivers. Outside the breeding season they move into ice-free coastal areas, including beaches, cliffs, dunes and reefs.

Diet:
They feed mainly on intertidal vegetation and invertebrates. The vegetation includes beach rye, crowberries, beach pea, sandwort, seaweeds, eelgrass and sea lettuce. Their animal prey are mostly blue mussels and Macoma clams, but also some crustaceans. They also eat sedges and bulbs.

Breeding:
Emperor geese breed in May-August. They are monogamous and mate for life. The female builds the nest, a scrape on the ground lined with dead vegetation. There she lays 3-8 eggs which are she incubates alone for 24-25 days. The chicks fledge 50-60 days after hatching, but remain with the parents for a long period, often returning to the breeding grounds with the parents the following spring. They start breeding at 3-4 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range. The population is Alaska was estimated at 84.500 individuals, while in Russia there are possibly 100-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to have suffered a moderately rapid decline, mainly due to subsistence hunting and the effects of oil pollution. Climate change is expected to impact negatively on the tundra habitat on which they depend for breeding, with a modelled loss of 54% of their habitat expected until 2070.

beach rye, crowberries, beach pea, and sandwort. They are also known to eat seaweed, eelgrass, and sea lettuce. While emperor geese may eat crustaceans, they mainly consume bivalves. During the spring and autumn months their diet consists primarily of blue mussels and macoma clams.

Maccoa duck

Oxyura maccoa

(Photo from Bird Forum)

Common name:
Maccoa duck (en); pato-de-rabo-alçado-africano (pt); érismature maccoa (fr); pato malvasía africano (es); Afrikanische ruderente (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
The Maccoa duck is found in two discrete areas within sub-Saharan Africa, one in East Africa and the Ethiopian highlands, in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, and another in southern Africa, in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are46-51 cm long and weigh 450-820 g.

Habitat:
They breed in small temporary and permanent inland freshwater lakes, preferring those that are shallow and nutrient-rich with extensive emergent vegetation such as reeds and cattails. They also breeds on man-made habitats, such as small farm wetlands and sewage basins. Outside the breeding season they wander over larger, deeper lakes and brackish lagoons. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
Maccoa ducks feed mainly on benthic invertebrates, such as fly larvae and pupae, crustaceans such as ostracods and Daphnia, Tubifex worms and fresh water mollucs. They also feed on algae and the seeds of aquatic plants such as Persicaria and Polygonum.

Breeding:
These birds can breed all year round. Male are polygamous, mating with up to 8 females that can nest simultaneously within his territory. The females build the nests, consisting of bulky cups made of leaves of stems from aquatic vegetation, placed over emergent vegetation such as reeds, bulrushes or sedges. They can also use old nests of red-knobbed coot Fulica cristata or  great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus. Each female lays 2-9 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 25-27 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and start diving and feeding for themselves immediately, relying on their mother for protection during 2-5 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
The Maccoa duck has a very large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 6.000-7.900 individuals. The population in East Africa has suffered severe declines, perhaps by 50% in the last 10 years, while the larger southern population appears stable after a period of range expansion and possible population increase but is considered smaller than previously thought and declines may have begun. Overall the population is suspected to be declining at a slow to moderate rate, mostly due to pollution, habitat loss through drainage and conversion of wetland areas for agriculture, and accidental mortality from entanglement in gill nets. Hunting and poaching, competition with alien benthic fish and habitat alteration by introduced plants all pose less serious threats.

Brazilian teal

Amazonetta brasiliensis

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Brazilian teal (en); pé-vermelho (pt); canard amazonette (fr); pato brasileño (es); Amazonasente (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
These birds are found throughout Brazil and also in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela.

Size:
Brazilian teals are 35-40 cm long and weigh 350-600 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in inland wetlands, such as bogs, marshes, swamps and lakes, but also in moist scrublands, wet grasslands and tropical moist forests. rarely also on coastal lagoons and mangroves. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
Brazilian teals feed on seeds, fruits, aquatic roots, aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and small fishes.

Breeding:
These birds breed in June-December. The nest is usually a mounds of plant matter surrounded by water, bur they can also nest on tree hollows or abandoned nests on cliffs or in trees. The female lays 6-9 pale cream or yellow-tinged white eggs, which are incubated for 23-27 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are immediately able to hunt insects on their own, but follow the mother until fledging, 50-60 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The Brazilian teal has a very large breeding range and is described as common in areas with suitable habitat. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats and this species is quite adaptable to habitat changes.

Common eider

Somateria mollissima

Photo by Andreas Trepte (Wikipedia)

Common name:
common eider (en); pato-eider (pt); eider à duvet (fr); eider común (es); eiderente (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
The common eider is found along the coasts of the northern Atlantic, northern pacific and the Arctic Ocean. In the Atlantic the breeding range goes as far south as northern England and Ireland, and Maine in the United States. In the Pacific the breeding range goes as far as southern Alaska. The wintering range goes as far as the coasts of France, Virginia, northern British Columbia and southern Kamchatka, Russia.

Size:
These large ducks are 55-70 cm long and have a wingspan of 90-105 cm. They weigh 0,9-3 kg.

Habitat:
Common eiders nest in rocky shorelines and tundra, particularly in small offshore islands that are free of mammalian predators. They forage on a wide range of coastal habitats including rocky shores, coastal lagoons, fresh water lakes, sandflats and mudflats and can also be found out at sea.

Diet:
They feed by diving into the water, mainly eating marine invertebrates. Their diet includes molluscs such as mussels, clams, scallops, cockles and snails, crabs, sea urchins and starfishes. They sometimes also eat small fishes and fish eggs.

Breeding:
Common eiders are monogamous and form large breeding colonies that can have over 10.000 birds. They breed in June-August. The nest is a scrape in the ground lined with down that the female plucks for her own body, it is often hidden among tall grasses and always located near the sea. The female lays 4-5 light grey eggs, which she incubates alone for 25-28 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and start foraging on the sea under the protection of the female, they fledge 65-75 days after hatching. Common eiders reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population is estimated at 3,1-3,8 million individuals. The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing, stable, or have unknown trends. In North America the population has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades.

Red-crested pochard

Netta rufina

Photo by Mustafa Sozen (Trek Nature)

Common name:
red-crested pochard (en); pato-de-bico-vermelho (pt); nette rousse (fr); pato colorado (es); kolbenente (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
These birds breed in southern Europe, from Portugal and Spain to the Ukraine, with some populations as far north as Germany and Poland. Then, through Turkey and the Caucasus they are found in central Asia, in Kazakhstan, southern Russia, north-western China and Mongolia. Some population migrate south to winter around the Mediterranean, in the Nile valley and in the Indian sub-continent.

Size:
This large diving duck is 45-57 cm long and has a wingspan of 84-90 cm. They weigh 1-1,5 kg.

Habitat:
The red-crested pochard is mainly found in fresh or brackish water lakes and lagoons, with abundant aquatic vegetation. They may also be found in coastal areas, estuaries, and along rivers.

Diet:
They feed on various aquatic plants and algae, but also grasses and sometimes aquatic invertebrates.

Breeding:
Red-crested pochards breed in April-July. The nest is built on the ground, never far from water, consisting of a conical structure made of grasses, leaves, rushes and down. There the female lays 6-12 creamy white or pale green eggs, which she incubates alone for 26-28 days while the male stands guard. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves, but rely on their mother for brooding and protection until they fledge, 45-50 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon. The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing, stable, or have unknown trends. They main threats affecting the red-crested pochard are the degradation of wetland habitats and hunting, but in some areas poisoning from lead shot ingestion and drowning on fresh water fishing nets are also a problem.

Black swan

Cygnus atratus

Photo by Rosie Perera (My Swan)

Common name:
black swan (en); cisne-preto (pt); cygne noir (fr); cisne negro (es); trauerschwan (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae


Range:
This species originates from Australia, being mostly found in the southern and eastern parts of the country, including Tasmania. Since the 19th century the black swan has been introduced in New Zealand, Japan, western Europe and North America.


Size:
Black swans are 110-142 cm long and have a wingspan of 160-200 cm. They weigh 3,7-8,7 kg.


Habitat:
These birds are found in fresh water, salt water and brackish wetlands, including lakes, rivers and swamps, preferring areas with aquatic vegetation. They are also found in flooded fields and even in dry pastures when food is scarce.


Diet:
Black swans are mainly herbivorous, eating sub-aquatic foliage, namely of Typha, Potamogeton, Myriophyllum, Ruppia and various algae. They also eat plants on pastures and farm land and are known to occasionally eat insects.


Breeding:
Within their native range, black swans breed in February-September. They are largely monogamous and most often pair for life. Typically, the female builds the nest, a floating mound of sticks, dead leaves and debris, on shallow water or sometimes in small islands. There she lays 4-8 greenish-white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 35-48 days. The precocial chicks leave the nest 2-3 weeks after hatching and are able to feed themselves, but only fledge 5-6 months after hatching and may remain with their parents for even longer. During this period they are protected by their parents and in the first weeks they may even ride on their backs.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 100.000-1.000.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Baer's pochard

Aythya baeri

Photo by Lester Wareham (The Holding Tank)

Common name:
Baer's pochard (en); zarro-de-Baer (pt); fuligule de Baer (fr); porrón de Baer (es); Baermoorente (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae


Range:
This Asian species breeds in the Amur and Ussuri basins, in south-eastern Russia and north-eastern China. It migrates south to winter from southern China, west to Bangladesh and eastern India, and south to Taiwan, Myanmar and occasionally Vietnam.


Size:
These birds are 41-46 cm long and weigh 650-700 g.


Habitat:
The Baer's pochard is found breeding in shallow lakes and freshwater marshes, but also in fast-flowing rivers, as long as there is rich aquatic vegetation where they can build a secure nest. Outside the breeding season in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, freshwater marshes, rice fields and in islands within freshwater lakes.


Diet:
They dive up to a depth of 2 m to hunt aquatic insects, molluscs, shrimps and fishes. They also eat algae, aquatic plants and seeds, especially during winter.


Breeding:
Baer's pochards breed in May-July. The nest is made of aquatic vegetation and placed in a tussock, in floating vegetation, in dense reedbeds or sometimes in the branches of trees. There the female lays 9-15 eggs, which she incubates alone for 23-28 days while the male guards the nest and collects food for the female. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, but remain with their parents for 2-4 weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a very large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 5.000 individuals. The population is estimated to be undergoing a fast decline caused by hunting and habitat loss due to wetland destruction in both their breeding and wintering grounds.

Laysan duck

Anas laysanensis

Photo by Melinda Webster (Melinda Annie's Website)

Common name:
Laysan duck (en); pato-de-Laysan (pt); canard de Laysan (fr); ánade de Laysan (es); Laysanente (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae


Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Laysan, in the Hawaii archipelago.


Size:
These birds are 40-42 cm long and weigh up to 400 g.


Habitat:
Laysan ducks use all habitats in the island of Laysan. During the day they are mostly found hidden in dense scrubland, coming out during the evening and night to forage along the sea shores or on the brackish lake inside the island.


Diet:
They mostly eat brine flies Scatella sexnotata, shrimps, snails and other invertebrates such as insect larvae and moths, but will also take grass seeds, sedge seeds and some algae.


Breeding:
The Laysan duck can breed almost all year round, with the breeding season varying significantly between years. The female builds the nest on the ground, under dense vegetation, where she lays 3-4 eggs which she incubates alone for 24-28 days. The precocial chicks leave the nest within 2 days of hatching, but are guarded, brooded, and led to foraging sites by the female for 40-60 days.


Conservation:
IUCN status - CR (Critically endangered)
In the past the Laysan duck occurred throughout the Hawaiian islands, but the introduction of rats lead to its disapearance everywhere but in Laysan. At present, the species has an extremely small breeding range and the global population is estimated at 888-1.064 individuals. The Laysan duck nearly became extinct in the beginning of the XX century, and although the population is currently increasing it shows extreme fluctuations caused by extreme weather, diseases and the accidental introduction of competitors. Some conservation measures, including habitat restoration in Laysan and the relocation of 42 birds  to the Midway Atoll, are under-way to try and save this critically endangered species. 

South African shelduck

Tadorna cana

Photo by Miriam Bauman (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
South African shelduck (en); pato-ferrugíneo-sul-africano (pt); tadorne à tête grise (fr); tarro sudafricano (es); graukopfkasarca (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae


Range:
This species is found throughout South Africa, in Namibia and in south-eastern Botswana.


Size:
These birds are 61-66 cm long and weigh 1-1,5 kg.


Habitat:
South African shelducks are found in shallow water wetlands, often along muddy shorelines with low grassy or scrubby vegetation. Their distribution is also influenced by the availability of vacated holes of aardvark and other mammals, which they use for nesting, so they are mostly found in wetlands located within semi-arid and grassland regions.


Diet:
They forage both in the water and on nearby crop fields, eating adult and larval crustaceans, larval insects, algae and agricultural crops like maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, oats, barley and peanuts. They also eat the seeds, leaves and roots of aquatic grasses and reeds.


Breeding:
These birds breed in March-December. The female builds the nest, using grasses, down and feathers, in a pre-existing cavity in the ground, most typically in an aardvark Orycteropus afer burrow, but also in holes of springhares Pedetes capensis or porcupines Hystrix africaeaustralis. There she lays 5-15 eggs which she incubates alone for 28-32 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents, fledging 65-75 days after hatching and becoming independent 1-2 months later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000 individuals. The use of waterbodies for human recreation and the decline in aardvark populations could affect this species in the future, but the population is presently suspected to be increasing.