Black-headed Duck vs Brazilian Merganser
Heteronetta atricapilla comparado con Mergus octosetaceus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Black-headed Duck | Brazilian Merganser |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Heteronetta atricapilla | Mergus octosetaceus |
| Orden | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familia | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 34,7 cm (13.7 in) | 39,2 cm (15.4 in) |
| Peso | 528,5 g (18.64 oz) | 827,6666666666666 g (29.20 oz) |
| Dieta | Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet … | Dives for small fish in fast-flowing South American rivers. Critically endangered; uses serrated bill to … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 2 | 5-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black-headed Duck
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.
Brazilian Merganser
Male produces a harsh, rasping call; female gives a guttural, grunting series. Critically endangered; quiet vocalizations suit its secretive lifestyle in fast-flowing Brazilian mountain rivers.
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Brazilian Merganser
Critically endangered; restricted to a few rivers in southern Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Found on fast-flowing rivers in Atlantic Forest.
Estado de conservación
Black-headed Duck
Brazilian Merganser
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-headed Duck
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.
Brazilian Merganser
Male has dark glossy greenish-black head with long shaggy crest; finely vermiculated grey body, white wing patch. Female similar but with rufous-chestnut wash on head and shorter crest.
About These Birds
Black-headed Duck
El pato cabeza negra es un pequeño pato buceador (~530 g) de América del Sur, familia Anatidae, y el único miembro del género Heteronetta. Tiene la cabeza negra en el macho y cuerpo marrón. Parásita de nido obligada: pone sus huevos en los nidos de otras aves acuáticas, especialmente fochas y pollas de agua. Habita en lagos y lagunas con vegetación emergente de Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Paraguay y Uruguay. No cría su propia cría nunca.
Brazilian Merganser
El merganso brasileño es uno de los patos más amenazados del mundo, con menos de 250 individuos maduros que subsisten en ríos rápidos y limpios del interior del Brasil, con pequeñas poblaciones en Argentina y Paraguay. Tiene plumaje negro con los flancos rojizos en el macho. La deforestación, la contaminación y los proyectos hidroeléctricos han destruido gran parte de su hábitat.