Magellanic Steamerduck

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A large flightless steamerduck with grey-blue plumage, a rust-orange head (male), and massive orange-red bill. Named for its habit of steaming across water using wings and feet. Found on rocky Patagonian coasts and sheltered channels. Among the world's heaviest ducks at up to 6 kg.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Envergadura	52,2 cm	20.6 in
Peso	4881,25 g	172.18 oz

Identificación

Plumaje

Heavy, flightless. Males gray with white eye-stripe and orange-yellow bill. Breast and flanks mottled rufous-brown. Females more brown with white eye-ring and olive-yellow bill. Wings used for steaming.

Habitat & Range

Rocky coastal shores, kelp-fringed channels, and sheltered bays of Patagonian Chile and Argentina. Flightless; confined to coastline. Nests on rocky shorelines. Uses wings to propel across water surface.

🏖️ Costero

Distribución geográfica

Breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic; winters on the open Pacific Ocean from British Columbia to Baja California.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds on seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and plant matter; dabbles in wetlands; diet heavily invertebrate during spring breeding.

Estado de conservación

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Comportamiento y reproducción

Nidificación

Incubation: 30-40 days. Fledging: 84 days.

Tamaño de la puesta

4-8

Sonido

Canto

A loud, rattling, staccato 'kik-kik-kik' that sounds like a steam engine — hence 'steamerduck'. The wings also produce a loud churring sound as they beat the water surface.

Taxonomía

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Orden	Anseriformes (Aves Acuáticas)
Familia	Anatidae (Patos, Gansos y Cisnes)
Genus	Tachyeres
Especies	Tachyeres pteneres

Distribution

Magellanic Steamerduck has been recorded in 1 countries.

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Presente Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇳🇴 Noruega

External Databases

Preguntas frecuentes

What does the Magellanic Steamerduck eat?

Feeds on seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and plant matter; dabbles in wetlands; diet heavily invertebrate during spring breeding.

Where does the Magellanic Steamerduck live?

Rocky coastal shores, kelp-fringed channels, and sheltered bays of Patagonian Chile and Argentina. Flightless; confined to coastline. Nests on rocky shorelines. Uses wings to propel across water surface.

Is the Magellanic Steamerduck endangered?

The Magellanic Steamerduck has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Magellanic Steamerduck nest?

Incubation: 30-40 days. Fledging: 84 days.

What does the Magellanic Steamerduck sound like?

A loud, rattling, staccato 'kik-kik-kik' that sounds like a steam engine — hence 'steamerduck'. The wings also produce a loud churring sound as they beat the water surface.

How big is the Magellanic Steamerduck?

The Magellanic Steamerduck has a wingspan of 52.2 cm, weight of 4881.25 g.

What order and family does the Magellanic Steamerduck belong to?

The Magellanic Steamerduck (Tachyeres pteneres) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.