The crested duck or South American crested duck (''Lophonetta specularioides'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, the belonging to the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Lophonetta''. It is sometimes included in ''

Anas ''Anas'' is a genus of dabbling ducks. It includes the pintails, most teals, and the mallard and its close relatives. It formerly included additional species but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2009 the genus wa ...

'', but it belongs to a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

that diverged early in

dabbling duck The Anatinae are a subfamily of the family Anatidae ( swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a yo ...

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

. There are two subspecies: ''L. specularioides alticola'' (

Andean crested duck The Andean crested duck (''Lophonetta specularioides alticola'') is one of two subspecies of the crested duck. It is much rarer than its sibling subspecies, the Patagonian crested duck. Description The Andean crested duck is a medium-sized du ...

) and ''L. specularioides specularioides'' (

Patagonian crested duck The Patagonian crested duck (''Lophonetta specularioides specularioides''), also known as the southern crested duck, or the grey duck in the Falkland Islands, is the nominate of two subspecies of the crested duck. Description The duck has a gr ...

). The Patagonian crested duck is also called the southern crested duck and its range lies in the

Falklands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Description

The crested duck is a medium-sized waterfowl species, with adult males reaching up to just over a kilogram. Males and females look similar, with males having a slightly more prominent crest than females. The feathers of the mantle, back and scapulars are dark brown with pale centers, giving a mottled appearance. The abdomen, flanks and tail coverts are light gray, with the tail itself being distinctly elongated and black. The upperwing is gray brown to light brown, with the secondaries having an iridescent coppery to greenish sheen, with a broad back band behind, narrowly edged with white. Juveniles are similar but lack crests, have light brown faces, and paler abdomens than adults.

Distribution and habitat

Crested ducks are endemic to South America. The two subspecies occupy different elevations in the Andes, with ''Lophonetta s. alticola'' occurring from 2500-4800m from Peru to central Chile and ''Lophonetta s. specularioides'' occurring below 1500m in the southern Andes near Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. The two subspecies co-occur in a zone of intermediate elevational habitats in Mendoza, Argentina and Talca, Chile. The crested duck is found in lakes, marshes, and grassy areas from shallow coastal bays to high elevation lakes. In the Altiplano, they gather in turbid, alkaline lakes with large concentrations of zooplankton. They reside in sheltered bays and on beaches along the coast, where they forage for clams and other marine amphipods among rocks and kelp beds

Behavior

Social behavior

Crested ducks are non-gregarious, flocking only in areas of unusually high food supplies. Generally pairs will expel others of their own species as well as alien species from their foraging areas. For these reasons they are considered highly territorial

Breeding

Nesting birds are found almost throughout the year, depending on location within the range of crested duck. In the high elevations of the Andes, active nests can be found throughout the summer from October to April. The season is shorter in Patagonia and the Falklands, with nests found from September to January. Two broods per year are common, but three may occur as well. Nests are on the ground, close to water and usually built among grass or ferns for reduced visibility. Eggs are cream colored, and a clutch may have from five to eight eggs. The incubation period lasts about 30 days. Only the female incubates the eggs, but males play an important role in the ducklings early development. Crested Ducks are monogamous and mating pairs exhibit high levels of cooperation which allow the species to live in proximity to other species such as gulls and skuas.

Diet and foraging

Crested ducks are dabbling ducks, which means they sieve through mud, silt, or gravel to find macroinvertebrates. Their diet, which is highly dependent on habitat, ranges from zooplankton, clams, kelp, and other macroinvertebrates.

Status and conservation

Crested duck is one of the most common duck species in the Tierra del Fuego and has been evaluated as Least Concern

References

External links

Patagonian Crested Duck
Falklands.net {{Taxonbar, from=Q869023

crested duck The crested duck or South American crested duck (''Lophonetta specularioides'') is a species of duck native to South America, the belonging to the monotypic genus ''Lophonetta''. It is sometimes included in ''Anas'', but it belongs to a South Am ...

Birds of South America