Black-headed Duck vs Common Eider
Heteronetta atricapilla comparado con Somateria mollissima
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Black-headed Duck | Common Eider |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Heteronetta atricapilla | Somateria mollissima |
| Orden | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familia | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 34,7 cm (13.7 in) | 56,0 cm (22.0 in) |
| Peso | 528,5 g (18.64 oz) | 2042,8333333333333 g (72.06 oz) |
| Dieta | Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet … | Dives for blue mussels, clams, and crustaceans in shallow coastal waters. Swallows shellfish whole and … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 2 | 2-7 |
| 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.
Common Eider
Male produces a loud, resonant ah-WOOO cooing; female gives a deep, guttural quacking series. The male's iconic moaning call echoes across North Atlantic coastlines; a classic seaduck sound.
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.
Common Eider
Breeds on Arctic and subarctic coasts from the North Atlantic to the Pacific. Winters along coasts of northwestern Europe and eastern North America.
Estado de conservación
Black-headed Duck
Common Eider
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.
Common Eider
Male is strikingly pied: white back, neck, and breast contrasting with black cap, belly, and flanks; nape washed pale lime-green. Female uniformly barred warm tawny-brown with darker streaks.
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.
Common Eider
El eider común es el pato más grande de Europa y uno de los más reconocibles, con el macho de vistoso plumaje blanco en la parte superior y negro en la inferior, más la cabeza verde. Las hembras son famosas por las plumas de su nido (edredón), que se han recolectado en Islandia durante siglos para la fabricación de edredones. Habita en costas marinas del Ártico y el subártico.