White-cheeked Pintail vs Black-headed Duck

Anas bahamensis مقارنةً بـ Heteronetta atricapilla

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة White-cheeked Pintail Black-headed Duck
الاسم العلمي Anas bahamensis Heteronetta atricapilla
الرتبة Anseriformes Anseriformes
الفصيلة Anatidae Anatidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 41,1 cm (16.2 in) 34,7 cm (13.7 in)
الوزن 544,5 g (19.21 oz) 528,5 g (18.64 oz)
النظام الغذائي Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by hard-shelled … Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet …
عدد البيض في الوضع 5-12 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

White-cheeked Pintail only

Black-headed Duck only

White-cheeked Pintail

Freshwater, brackish, and coastal wetlands across the Caribbean, Galapagos Islands, and South America from Venezuela south to Argentina. Tolerates saline habitats; common in coastal lagoons and estuaries.

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Song & Call Comparison

White-cheeked Pintail

الغناء

Female gives a descending quacking series; male produces a soft, nasal gak note. Both sexes relatively quiet; calls carry across Caribbean mangroves and Bahamian tidal flats.

Black-headed Duck

الغناء

Male gives a soft, raspy peeping note; female produces a muted quack. An obligate brood parasite with reduced vocalizations; subdued calls suit its secretive lifestyle among Argentine reeds.

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Geographic Range & Migration

White-cheeked Pintail

Breeds in the subarctic and Arctic Eurasia; winters across temperate lakes and coasts in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Black-headed Duck

Resident in southern South America from southern Brazil and Bolivia south to Argentina and Chile. Found on lakes and marshes in open lowlands.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

White-cheeked Pintail

Least Concern

Black-headed Duck

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How to Tell Them Apart

White-cheeked Pintail

الريش

Brown body mottled with dark spots; white cheeks and throat distinctive. Pointed tail. Red base to gray bill. Iridescent green speculum with buff-white front border. Sexes similar but males have …

Black-headed Duck

الريش

Male has distinctive jet-black head and neck, warm chestnut-brown back, and pale buff underparts; blue-grey bill with red base. Female is streaked brown above with pale supercilium and whitish underparts.

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About These Birds

White-cheeked Pintail

A slender duck with white cheeks and throat contrasting with brown body, a red-based grey bill, and distinctive red-sided tail. Found from the Caribbean south through South America. Also known as the Bahama Pintail. Common on Caribbean islands. Three subspecies recognized.

Black-headed Duck

A small diving duck (~530 g) of South America, family Anatidae, and the sole member of genus Heteronetta. Inhabits freshwater marshes and lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Unique among waterfowl as an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in nests of coots and other waterbirds. Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.

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